The New Prince
by wade wells
Summary: There are some things in life you can't prevent, no matter how much you try. The magic, however, is rising to the challenge, meeting it, and overcoming all obstacles. A Keith and Allura focused story.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Welcome to my first stand alone fic! This story has nothing to do with the series that I am currently writing. The gang is fairly young and although, they seen the war, there is still a part of each of them that is innocent. This however will change with time. Well, I'm not going to tell you anymore. You'll need to find out for yourselves!

My thanks and great appreciation for my editors who I adore!!! Thank you ladies!!!

Okay, here we go. Enjoy the ride...

_In order to have an enemy, one must be somebody. One must be a force before he can be resisted by another force. A malicious enemy is better than a clumsy friend. Anne Sophie Swetchine  
_  
The Beginning

"Evasive maneuvers, evasive maneuvers!" Keith yelled as he lifted off from the ground where the robeast slammed him minutes earlier.

"Are you all right?" He heard Allura from the comm.

"I'm fine, Princess. Just be careful, this one has it in for you."

"I think this tin can has it in for you, Commander!" Lance answered, firing a couple of proton missiles at the gigantic metal beast.

The beast, looking like a Roman gladiator from ancient Earth times, wore the face of a tiger and wings of an eagle.

Lotor decided to attack at dawn this time, even before the sun rose. Keith knew the Prince's purpose. _A surprise attack_, he thought_;_ when they would least expect it and where they would be most vulnerable. _It's a careless attack, though,_ he thought, as he positioned himself closer to the beast and noticed it turning toward Blue.

"Negative, it's going after the Princess!" Keith shouted back almost hitting the beast's whip as it flew toward him. "We need to form Voltron, now!"

Upon hearing his words, all five lions flew up and commenced the sequence to form Voltron. Seconds later, Voltron slammed the robeast from the back causing it to fall forward, releasing the whip from its hand.

"Pidge, run the scan, quick!" Keith commanded to his youngest crewmember as he studied the beast and looked for weak points.

"I'm running it," Pidge replied quickly, not bothering to meet the Commander's eyes on his screen.

"Never mind." Keith fired back. "Look, between its upper torso, there's flesh."

"How?" Hunk asked immediately. "That thing is full of metal."

"Negative, it's just covered with metal on the surface. Below, it's just flesh. We can slice it." Keith smiled at the discovery.

"Well, we better do it now. That thing is coming right at us!" Lance yelled as he saw the beast fly at them. "Keith now is a good time to let us know what you want us to do!"

"Form Blazing Sword!" Keith yelled as the sword formed. He positioned Voltron as the beast flew at them. The Blazing Sword then sliced it in two. Both pieces of the Robeast headed toward the ground, but not before they exploded in the air.

"Whoo!" Lance howled. "What a way to start the morning!"

Allura smiled as she saw the sun beginning to rise. "Yep, it's a great morning." she laughed as she noticed Lotor's ship begin to leave the planet.

Nodding in approval, Keith stared at Lotor's retreating ship, making sure it completely left the atmosphere. "Ok team; let's make this our lion practice for the day. I think we all deserve a rest."

**********

Zarkon, King of Doom, the most sadistic of all the emperors of the Drule Empire, walked down the hallways of his castle lost in thought. Having had many enemies in the past, he never thought of them as much trouble. He disposed of such nuisances rather quickly. Others, a bit more of a challenge, took more time to dispose of, but he always managed to do it. Like the thorns preventing him from touching the beautiful black roses in his gardens, these nuisances, these despicable thorns stopped, if only for a moment, his access to power.

Now, Viceroy Throk, his latest thorn, posed an obstacle in his quest. He would do anything to dispose of this latest nuisance.

As the doors opened to the control room, his subjects rose from their chairs and saluted their King. "At ease men," he told them as he headed toward the video screen. "Did we win?" he asked, knowing full well the outcome.

The soldier at the controls answered him, "No sire, Voltron defeated us again. The Prince is on his way back. His ETA is an hour."

Zarkon nodded absently. About to turn around and leave, Cossack, his third in Command, intercepted his path and bowed at him before speaking. "My King, would you like to see the latest recording?"

"Send it to my chambers." He ordered as he passed Cossack.

"Sire, I'm sorry, but I'm receiving a connection from Viceroy Throk." Another soldier called out before Zarkon could leave the room.

"Patch him through." The Doom King stated.

The video screen lit up to show the latest thorn prickling Zarkon's ego.

"King Zarkon, may I congratulate you on your current loss." Throk smiled triumphantly behind his thick beard. "Once again, Voltron defeated the mighty King of Doom."

"Did you just contact me to gloat or do you have a purpose Throk?"

Still feeling rather sarcastic, Throk continued his taunting game, "Will you now admit defeat and let me take over as head of the Drule Empire?"

"It's not over yet, Throk. As a matter of fact, I guarantee you I am far from defeat. Now if you don't have anything else worthwhile to tell me, get lost!" Zarkon yelled cutting the transmission. His nostrils flared with anger. _Cocky son of a bitch! This ends today._ He turned to Cossack. "Contact me when Lotor returns."

* * *

As he walked back to his chambers alone, Zarkon felt a foreign emotion within him. He never felt something quite so strange. He knew of Throk's commitment to put together an army to fight against him. He knew many wanted him to step down due to his numerous defeats from Voltron. The Empire wanted new blood and Throk couldn't wait to offer his. _It's fear. It's damn fear!_ Zarkon thought to himself. He had never known fear before, but for the first time ever, Zarkon felt bathed in it. _I_ _will not concede __to it, not while I'm alive and breathing._

He walked into his chambers ready to view the latest battle. He had studied the previous recordings with a careful eye over and over again for the past six months. Every time he saw them, the more the King knew his plan would work. Zarkon thought about it for quite some time, but now he needed to put the plan into action more than ever. Throk would force him to act before all the pieces of the game were in place, but nevertheless it had to be done. He completed almost everything anyway. The last couple of pieces could be completed rather fast with no great consequences.

The Doom King turned on the video screen in his room and watched the latest recording for almost an hour. He smiled, knowing that his predictions came true on the screen. After watching intensely, he turned it off and poured himself a glass of wine. He felt better, the time had come. Suddenly, his comm. rang off. "Yes?"

"Your Majesty, the Prince has just entered Doom airspace."

"Tell him to meet me in the Throne room."

"Yes, Sire."

Taking a deep breath, he pressed his comm. and contacted another one of his thorns, but this one he still needed...for the moment. "Haggar, we need to talk. I'll see you later today at your lab."

"Yes, your Majesty." Her voice crackled over the comm.

Zarkon put his glass down and headed toward the door as his cape flew around him. A little glee now within him, he felt more content and ready to prick his thorn. He smiled; Viceroy Throk didn't know what headed his way.

*************

Keith basked in the sun while resting by the lake, listening to the others as they swam and played in the water. He loved spending time at the private lake within the compounds of the castle, especially when he needed to be alone with his thoughts. Today, although not alone, he did have a lot of thinking to do.

He experienced a tricky battle this morning. Rarely did Lotor attack at dawn. Keith knew that the Prince must have had his reasons, but he found no apparent one and this continuously nagged him. Attacks could happen at any time, but early morning attacks were not the norm. Rather, they were careless.

_The traveling time from Doom to Arus is at least an hour_, he thought. By the time they would reach Arus in the early morning hours, its suns could prevent them from having clear visibility upon entering the surface of the planet. Cloaking devices would basically burn off, making detection inevitable. _It just isn't smart._ _If there is a reason, I could understand taking the risk, but nothing! Not one thing I can think of..._

"Hey Commander! Stop pretending you're resting, we know you are deep in thought over there." He heard the voice of his friend Lance.

"Yeah, Keith, quit working and come join us!" Allura shouted laughingly as she splashed Hunk and Pidge playfully.

Keith did not answer. He kept his eyes closed, but his lips shifted into a smile.

"Come on, Commander! Quit playing around. Coran demanded that you to take a break like the rest of us!" Hunk yelled back.

"I _am_ resting! You have your way of relaxing and I have mine!" Keith shouted without looking at them.

From the lake, Lance looked at Allura who now seemed a little concerned. She swam to him and whispered, "He's still stuck trying to guess why Lotor attacked this morning."

"You know him." Lance answered while shrugging.

"Exactly!" She tilted her head to confirm. "I'm worried about him. Lately, that's all he does, work, strategize, plan...blah, blah, blah!"

"Come on Allura. At least he's strategizing under the sun." Lance winked back.

"Lance! He needs a break...even if he doesn't think so. Coran told me that Keith saw Dr. Gorma because he thought he was suffering from anxiety." She stated looking at the prone figure lying on the blanket, pretending to sleep. She shook her head in frustration. "Dr. Gorma prescribed him some anti depressant pills to help him relax and sleep better, since sleeping pills are out of the question. But you know him. I'm sure he hasn't taken one. He's too young to start acting like a fuddy duddy!"

"Fuddy duddy?" Lance asked raising his eyebrow. "One, how do you know all this? And two, where did you hear that expression?"

"Dr. Gorma told Coran in the strictest of confidence. Coran asked me to keep an eye on him. I shouldn't have told you anything, but I need your help." She disclosed the information, albeit, with a bit of guilt in her tone. Allura sighed, "The expression?" Shrugging she finished, "I heard it on one of those shows from Earth, Hunk's family sends him." Her gaze turned back to the Commander. Suddenly, her eyes widened and a smile crept in. "Hey, I just got an idea!" She told Lance in a loud whisper then leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

"He'll kill you," he answered as a smile crossed his face. "I love it!"

Allura swam over to Pidge and whispered in his ear, "There's a well across from the lake, just ahead of those trees. Grab a bucket from there."

Pidge looked at her curiously and a bit confused, but the Princess smiled, "I'll tell you what I plan to do when you bring it. But leave quietly. I don't want Keith to know you left."

Nodding, Pidge smiled, "A trick?"

"I think it's time for our Commander to have some fun," She told him with a wink.

Giggling lightly, Pidge swam toward the edge of the lake. Hunk began to speak but Lance waved him to shut his mouth.

"Hey, guys, I'll race you across the lake."

"Keith, you in?"

"No," he replied without moving.

"All right, you snooze you lose buddy!"

The trio continued playing while waiting for Pidge to return. Minutes later, the kid returned with a brown wooden bucket, a huge grin and wild eyes. Allura swam toward him and quietly got out of the water. She then filled the bucket with water and slowly walked behind Keith far enough that he wouldn't notice her going around him. When strategically in place, she gave Lance a signal.

"Hey, Keith!" Lance began, "Are you sure you don't want to come into the lake?"

"Maybe later Lance."

"Well, if you don't want to come into the lake, I guess the lake will have to come to you."

"What?"

At that moment, Allura threw the water from the bucket all over Keith.

"What the hell!" Yelled Keith as he sat up. "Lance, you son of a bitch!" he screamed as he turned around, but found Allura laughing loudly instead.

"That's what you get for not wanting to spend time with us."

"Oh really?" Keith stood up, pulling the wet strands of his hair back from his forehead. "All right Princess, I think you're ready to spend some time...with me, milady," he taunted her as he came up to her.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, no... Don't you even think about it! You can't treat royalty like this."

"Yeah, right, you can't play that card with me whenever you see fit!"

He ran up to her as Allura tried to run away from him. "No!" She screamed, half laughing. "Where are you taking me?"

"When I catch you, I'll let you know."

Keith ran after her as she ran away from him half-laughing.

"You're going to throw me into the lake!"

"Of course I am!"

"Only if you can catch me!"

He continued to run after her as the rest of the group laughed. The Princess looked like a little chicken running wildly on a farm. Lance laughed for a while until he saw Keith finally catch her. Both laughed heartedly enjoying the moment, as if it were only their own. He saw something in their faces. Their laughter and smiles for each other had a twinkle in them that he never noticed until that moment. It was then that Lance knew their smiles told a story deeper than anyone else had ever noticed.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to my editors for the looking over chapter 2! I hope you like reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

2. The Plan Begins….

_"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories." Sun Tzu_

Lotor walked into the throne room with a fury unlike any other. His father's idea to attack before dawn for no purpose seemed useless and outright absurd. He asked for a reason, but received no answer, and now, he faced another defeat.

Embarrassing comments over his constant losses seemed like the topic of conversation these days along the hallways of his castle. This time his father made him look even worse to his soldiers. He heard the snickers, the taunts, and ongoing secret laughter. Thinking about it infuriated him even more so.

When he entered the throne room, he saw his father's facial expression mirroring his feelings. "You're angry too?" he questioned. "If anyone is angry, it should be me! You initiated a thoughtless, careless, and ridiculous attack for no reason!"

"Oh, I found a reason for it," Zarkon answered immediately. "I needed to prove two things for myself. One, I wanted to see if Voltron would in fact beat us against any attack thrown at him at any given time, and two, if your capabilities proved worthless every time. I found my answers this morning."

"What the hell are you talking about?" piped Lotor with a glint of sarcasm.

Zarkon stood up from his throne proudly, "What I'm telling you is that I finally opened my eyes to see the failure you have become!"

"If I'm a failure it is due to your teachings!" Lotor argued back. "Face it Father, you forget that everything I am is because of your teachings and your guidance. Don't throw this back at me. I could have defeated them long ago if your meddling in my affairs didn't constantly stop me from achieving my goals!"

"Goals!" Zarkon heartedly laughed. "The one goal you've achieved is your insistence on losing every time you confront them. I'm glad this morning proved everything that I needed to know Lotor, because I've come to a decision."

"And what might that be?"

Zarkon smiled, "You're not worthy of my throne. I spent my lifetime achieving greatness and I'll be damned if I'll allow you to destroy everything I've done and sacrificed."

"What are you planning to do?" Lotor raised his brow, confused.

"It's over Lotor. I have something else in mind for you! Guards!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the guards surrounded the very surprised Prince. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am stripping you from your title! Throw Lotor in the Pit of Skulls!" Zarkon ordered.

Lotor fought to escape, but the guards over powered him. Led out of the throne room fighting and screaming, he managed to scream out parting words to his father. "Don't think this is over! Father! I'll kill you if I have to, but you won't get away with this! This is not over! THIS IS NOT OVER!"

Zarkon shook his head, dismissing the threat. The first part of his plan ended without a problem or afterthought. He then walked back to his room to look over the new information Cossack gathered for him this morning. The second part of his plan now began.

**************

The early morning rays of the sun brightened their path as they jogged back to the castle. Keith surprised the team by replacing lion practice for a jogging session. After yesterday's battle, both the team and the lions needed a much deserved break. Unfortunately for them, he felt a bit devilish this morning and woke them up before sun rise to jog around the perimeters of the castle. Laughing on the inside, Keith then smiled at the perfect way to seek a little revenge for the prank they played on him the day before.

"How much longer?" Poor Pidge sulked as he saw a steep hill approaching.

"Just two more miles my friend," Keith answered, without a tone of weariness or fatigue.

Lance, trailing behind Keith by a couple of steps, looked at him cynically. "What...the hell...Keith? I'm dying! We've already done…five miles."

"Stop complaining, Lieutenant," Keith answered. "We used to do much more at the Academy if I remember correctly."

"Well I didn't go to the academy. Why am I here?" Allura cried out.

Keith laughed. "Sorry Princess, you were a big part of that little prank played on me yesterday, so you will suffer just like the rest of them."

"So this is payback!" Pidge cries out. "That's not fair, Commander!"

"Neither was throwing a bucket of water at me. You thought I would let it go?"

"Well, yeah...we need...needed to get…you to relax!" Lance shouted back.

"Oh yeah, sure I did," Keith rolled his eyes. Turning his head back slightly to look at his team; he then felt a little sympathy for them. "Okay guys, I'll soon give you a break." As they reached the top of the hill, he turned completely and looked at his team, now drenched in sweat. "Need a ten minute break before we head back to the castle?"

"Yes!" Lance, Pidge, and Allura yelled in unison as they all fell on the ground. Sitting up, they used their hands to support their ailing backs.

Laughing again, he rolled his eyes. "You guys are pathetic!"

"Hey, where's Hunk?" Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Pidge looked around, and noticed the big guy missing from the group.

Keith took out his comm. "Hunk, report. Where are you?"

"Here," Hunk replied.

"Here, where?"

"Sorry Keith. I'm resting by the bottom of the hill. I'm done."

Keith turned off the comm. and started laughing. When finished, he put up his most serious tone and still smiling, he began ordering the poor man. "I'm sorry Hunk; you meet with us now. We'll wait for you here in five, Keith out."

"You're horrible!" Allura exclaimed, wiping her sweat. "Poor Hunk!"

"Fair is fair." He replied, stifling his laugh.

"You're a hard ass, Keith!" Lance exclaimed, dropping the other half of his body to the ground gasping for air.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to lift the ten minute break? Want to see what I hard ass I can be?"

"No!" Lance exclaimed immediately. "It's okay! It's okay!"

At the ten-minute mark, Hunk came crawling in. Allura smiled at him sympathetically. Lance could not stop laughing, "Should have kept up, big guy. Break is over! We're heading back to the castle."

Hunk's face fell. "No! Keith, give me five, just five!"

Now Keith laughed. "Fine, five!" He replied to Hunk's pleas.

Five minutes later, the group stood to leave when Keith heard a sharp female voice cry out in pain.

"Allura!" He turned to see her on one knee rubbing her calf. "Ouch! I think I have a cramp!" She yelled out.

Keith walked up to her and gently rubbed her leg. After noticing the muscle would not relax, he looked at her. "Come on, stand up and lean on me. You're going to have to walk it off." he instructed her as she put an arm around his neck and he held her by the waist. "Ready? Come on, let's walk around the area."

They began slowly and little by little they picked up pace. All the time Keith made little jokes to make her laugh. She giggled, holding him closer to her.

Lance took a seat as Pidge and Hunk sat once again, grateful to have a couple more minutes of rest while he continued to study the pair. He smiled. _'Yep. They're in love all right. Interesting....' _

-----------

Zarkon, never known to have the qualities of a careless man, did not thrive in life by being sloppy. He studied, researched, and found details about people and places that would benefit him, rather than create barriers for himself. Zarkon was just plain smart. He knew it and gloated about it every chance he had. _What a shame Lotor didn't inherit my smarts…a shame for Lotor._ He reminded himself.

Cossack's latest reports held promise. He would soon hold all the tools and information needed in his grasp. After Cossack's departure, he sat on his bedroom chair running the recordings once more. He watched them every night, looking for errors, negligence, or hidden mistakes no one would bother to actively look for. Nothing. Commander Keith Kogane seemed almost as smart as Zarkon._ Almost_, he again reminded himself.

For over six months, he had secretly kept recordings of every fight the Commander partook with Doom in Black Lion. He hid a cloaked recording device inside the lion that allowed him to view and hear every decision the Captain made.

Zarkon could have used this information to help Lotor, but why? A walking disaster like Lotor did not deserve such rewards. More and more he believed he made the right decision ridding himself of that pest. The time came for his empire to truly rise to its proper potential.

He retrieved his comm. from the desk next to him. "Haggar, report to my chambers, now."

Moments later, the haggard witch appeared to the King, a bit perplexed. She rarely entered his chambers, but when she did, she knew something of great importance would rise and she had a part in it.

"Sire, how may I serve?" She asked, immediately. "I thought you would come to my lab yesterday as you stated you would, but you didn't. Is there something..." She turned to view his vid screen, "Sire, why are you watching a recording of the Commander of the Voltron Force?"

Speaking as he looked at the screen and rewound the recording, he did not bother to look toward the witch, "Haggar, a year ago I came to realization that my son would never become the man and ruler I expected and wanted of him. Lotor is a failure and truly a nuisance to me. Therefore, I threw him in the Pit of Skulls yesterday."

"Yes, I heard Sire." Haggar answered looking down, not wanting to show any defiance herself. She did not want the same fate as Lotor. The King, however, did not take notice and continued speaking.

"For almost a half a year, I've watched his adversary in secret, studying his every move carefully." He paused for a bit before telling her what he planned on doing for months. "I'm in need of a ruler, someone of greatness to take my place once I am gone. None of my people in Doom match the talents and wits the Commander possesses."

Surprised, she looked up, "Let me guess," she interrupted him. "You think the Commander has the talent to take over Doom? Sire, you know he'll never agree, no matter how much you threaten."

Zarkon laughed. "No, I'm not going to threaten him, Haggar. He will come willingly. After all, what son wouldn't want to please his father?"

Haggar narrowed her eyes, "I don't understand." She suddenly asked him in disbelief. "Zarkon, what are you thinking?"

"Within the half a year or so that I've studied the Commander, I've grown fond of him. At first, I hated him with every bit of my dark heart, but now... I feel differently. He's the son I've always wanted." He finished with a smile.

"Sire..."

"Don't interrupt me Haggar. The Commander was orphaned at five years of age. He's never really had a father figure, unless you count those nitwits at Galaxy Garrison who raised him in such restricted confines." Smiling, he continued. "If Kogane grew up and became such a great leader under the Garrison and now Arus, imagine what he is capable of doing for us?"

The witch narrowed her eyes even more at the King in surprise. "Zarkon, what are you trying to tell me?" she asked, knowing full well the answer, but wanting to hear it from his own mouth.

Smiling, he answered her. "Starting today, I have plans. Our Commander will have a father again, a real home, and a real purpose. Haggar, I need your help."

"I could create some magic spell to-"

"No! Your magic tends to bring failure instead of victory. I'm doing something much different this time."

Haggar maintained her silence as she listened to Zarkon's plan. The more she listened to it, the more she came to realize that she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit.

* * *

When the team walked into the castle, a swarm of maids welcomed them as they headed toward Allura like a herd of cattle.

"What the hell!" Hunk yelled, as they pushed him aside. "What's going on here?"

Within seconds and amidst the commotion, Nanny appeared and took Allura's hand leading her away from the Force.

"Come on Princess," the governess huffed. "You've delayed this long enough. Now, I'll draw you a bath and you will have the seamstress measure for your dress today. That's final!"

"Nanny!" Allura yelled, "I'm still in training until lunch."

The governess turned around and with eyes wide open looked at the Commander. "Well...!"

Keith swallowed hard, afraid to debate with Nanny. He knew when to pick battles with the governess. Allura had pushed her dress fitting aside for almost two weeks. He could not win this battle with Nanny. He shrugged in defeat and answered Allura with an apologetic smile, "Don't worry Princess, we can end training early today, besides, the rest of us need to work on upgrades for the lions and Garrison paperwork."

Nanny reeled in her happiness and authority, looking over at Allura, she told her, "See. Let's go Princess. You can join your friends for lunch later. Come on!"

Allura walked behind Nanny with her shoulders slumped and disappeared down the hallway with the rest of the maids, but not before giving Keith the evil eye. Lance was the first to lose it and laugh at Allura's resigned expression.

"She's so going to kill you at lunch!" He told him in between laughs.

Pidge and Hunk couldn't stop laughing either. Keith just rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to argue with Nanny. I swear that woman scares the hell out of me."

At that statement the laughter became louder.

"Oh, well. The Princess had it coming." Pidge replied. "She's the first girl I know that would run away from celebrating her birthday!"

"Yeah," Hunk continued. "I mean, eighteen is the big one!"

"Well," Lance followed. "I think she's running away from something bigger than her birthday... more like she's running away from marriage."

"What do you mean?" Pidge asked.

Lance took a look at Keith, whose face seemed to pale a little at that statement and who maintained his silence. Nevertheless, Lance continued, "I overheard Coran speaking to a couple of representatives from other planets a few days ago. He told them that Allura was 'coming of age' and that she'd soon choose a suitor."

"Does Allura know?" Hunk asked.

"Have no idea," Lance answered. "I haven't asked her. So what do you think about this Keith?" He asked, studying his friend now that he had his suspicions.

As usual, Keith's expression held his typical blank slate. Instead, he smiled and played it off, "I think we should clean up and start working. This party takes place in two days and we better have all our work done before then. I have a feeling Nanny and Coran will want us to take part in these festivities and I don't want us to be pushed back from what we're really here for." He walked away from the rest of the group.

Noting Keith's last words, Pidge asked curiously. "What we are here for? What's with him?"

'_I know!'_ Lance gloated, but he wasn't going to reveal his best friend's secret until he spoke to him. "Have no idea. Come on…let's go before he gives us more work!"


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for reading and again I thank my wonderful editors!

Enjoy this short but sweet chapter! Don't worry; it won't stay this way for long!

Read and Review as this helps me focus more on my points as an aspiring writer. Thank you.

_3. The Unconcealed Secrets_

_But my deepest and most secret love belongs to the fair-haired and the blue-eyed, the bright children of life, the happy, the charming and the ordinary._ **Thomas Mann**

Allura sighed heavily as she walked for the umpteenth time to the full length mirror in her room. Nanny's light brown eyes sparkled when she saw the off the shoulder, turquoise, empire gown the princess wore.

"Oh I love this one, Princess. You look exquisitely sophisticated!" She cried out.

"You've told me the same thing about the last two dresses, Nanny," Allura sulked, "Why don't you pick out the one you want me to wear, and that's the one I'll wear for the party."

Nanny snorted and rolled her eyes, "Allura! Your gratitude overwhelms me." remarked the older woman sarcastically. "Princess, your eighteenth birthday is the most important event of your life next to your wedding and the birth of your children."

"Really? Really Nanny?" retorted Allura sarcastically. "A party with people I've never even met, singing 'Happy Birthday' to someone they could care less about."

"What do you know child? Your future husband and King of Arus will be there...that I can promise you!"

"I hardly believe that!" Allura responded, "Nanny, if you all think I'm about to marry someone I don't know, you truly need...psychological help!"

"What?"

Lance taught her that phrase, but she did not want to start a discussion about her hanging with the 'ruffians' as Nanny called them. Instead, she diverted the subject, "Never mind. Nanny...would you like to hear a great joke Keith told me today?"

"A joke?" Nanny asked, confused, as she walked up to Allura and commenced inspecting the outfit for her satisfaction.

"A humorous fable." Allura answered. "Ok...how does it go? Yes, I remember! Okay, so there's this party the animals prepare in the forest…"

"Why would animals prepare for a party?"

"Nanny, just listen. So the animals prepare for a party in the forest. The rabbit assigns each animal to bring something. So the squirrel needs to collect some food, the bear will bring the party favors, and the turtle needs to bring in the drinks. Basically each animal will bring something to the party. Well, everyone brings in their share after a few hours and guess what?"

"What?" Nanny answered not amused one bit. "Come to the dresser Allura, I want to see what type of hairstyle I want if you choose this dress."

Allura sighs as she walks over to her dresser and takes her seat, "So, the turtle doesn't show up and the party can't begin. After a few more hours, everyone starts talking badly about the turtle and they begin to say that he's irresponsible and not a very good friend."

"Hmmm." Nanny continues looking at Allura's hair, deciding what to do with it.

"All the animals now start speaking ill of the poor turtle when suddenly; they hear a voice coming from some bushes a couple of feet away from them. The voice boomed over the entire party and as it yelled, 'If you keep talking about me, I won't come!'"

"Who was that? Another animal?"

"No!" Allura yelled back, "The turtle! Don't you get it?"

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Nanny answered her, "Not really princess."

"Nanny. Turtles walk slow...." Allura countered with a bit of an elevated pitch. "All that time the turtle was still on his way to get the drinks."

"Ahh," Nanny answered with no surprise in her tone.

Allura sighed and quieted herself. The rest of the day would not be easy. _'Not easy at all!' _she thought.

The next day the team held their daily meeting in the conference room. Finishing up last minute details, they heard the doors of the room open followed by the sudden entrance of the Princess. Allura ran in as if something was after her. The team immediately stood up ready for action.

"No...no!" She told them between breaths, "I was running away...from Nanny!"

At that, everyone laughed. "You're kidding me!" Lance began, "She's really after you?"

Nodding and taking a seat before everyone else did, Allura,Allura took in one deep breath. "Yeah. I mean, how many times do I have to put on that damn dress to prove to her it fits?"

"Oh, oh..." Hunk laughed "She said 'damn'."

Pidge began giggling. "Maybe we should call Nanny." Imitating the governess he stated, "This is un-princess like, your Highness. That's what you learn for associating with those...those ruffians!"

The room roared with laughter. Even Allura found it hard to stop laughing, "All right, leave poor Nanny alone. She means well."

"We thought we would never see you again Princess." Lance then turned to look at her, "You were supposed to meet us for lunch after the fitting and you didn't show up. Even at dinner you were MIA."

"Nanny played a nasty little trick on me! One dress...one dress she said!" Allura rolled her eyes. "Well, when I arrived at my room, I found five different designers from Arus just waiting for me to see their designs! I must have tried on thirty dresses! Then...then she made me choose one. In front of the designers! Can you believe it, to make me choose one and make the others feel horrible?"

"What did you do then?" Hunk asked.

"I bought one from each. I couldn't allow these people to go home empty handed and feeling like failures." She finished. "That's why I missed lunch."

'_Always giving to others.' _Keith thought, looking at her.

"What happened at dinner?" Lance questioned.

"Well," Allura continued, sarcastically. "What good is a dress without accessories?"

"The trials and tribulations of women," Lance told her laughing.

"That took a couple of hours as well. If this is for my birthday, can you imagine when I actually marry? Heaven help me!"

"Speaking about weddings," Lance taunted, "I heard that this little shin ding is exactly for that. I read up on Arus' traditions, that a girl's eighteenth birthday is something very big here."

Keith looked down and began reading some paperwork he held in his hands. Lance saw this out of the corner of his eye, but he needed Allura to make the point that he knew she would make.

Nodding, Allura replied, "Yes. Here on Arus it's a very big thing. It's kind of like a girl's sixteenth birthday on Earth, except here they make you choose a suitor." She finished making a face. "Can you imagine? I read that on Earth, the average age for a woman to marry is twenty five. Here at that age, you already have a child and another on the way. Incredible." She finished in amazement.

"So I guess, tomorrow you'll choose your suitor," Lance continued his taunting.

At that Allura laughed. "Right!"

Unfortunately Allura's words were cut off by Coran's entrance. Lance grunted inwardly when the advisor came in, happily giving everyone a good morning.

He took a seat at one of the chairs around the conference table and began. "Well, as you all know, tomorrow the Princess will celebrate her eighteenth birthday. The ball begins at eight o'clock promptly. I will pick up Allura at her room at a quarter to and make our entrance at eight. This will be followed by a speech and Allura's first dance with a prince of her choice."

"Wow, talk about formal." Pidge whistled.

Allura slumped in her seat, looking bored out of her mind.

Lance decided to take a chance and probe the subject further, "Coran, Allura told us the importance of this ball...for her, I mean. You know choosing a suitor and all."

Nodding in agreement, Coran faced him. "Yes, Lance. Tomorrow is very important. It is tradition that the Princess chooses a suitor to marry by her eighteenth birthday."

"Wow, Princess," Lance continued, "So that means that in a year or so we'll have a king of Arus. Guess you should enjoy the little time left you have in Blue."

"What do you mean?" Allura asked defensively.

"I mean, you'll be crowned Queen of Arus, so that means you'll probably be grounded, right Keith?"

"Lance..." Keith warned, widening his eyes at Lance.

Allura turned to the Commander. "Keith, what does he mean by that?"

Sighing Keith turned to the castle advisor. "Coran, you tell her. That's a decision that comes from you and Arus. I have nothing to do with that."

Clearing his throat, Coran turned to the Princess and offered a sheepish smile. "Well, Princess, once you are crowned, I'd think you'd step down as pilot and focus your energy on more...royal duties."

"Royal duties!" Allura snapped. "What's more royal than saving my planet?"

"Allura," Coran began, but she cut him off.

"No. Coran, this is the reason I didn't want this ridiculous ball! Tradition...please! Tradition ended when war on this planet began. Besides, I don't want to bring up a child when there's no world to rule."

"Allura, I understand, but the people..."

She stood up, "The people could care less. They're happy now that we have schools, homes and a semblance of a normal civilization. I'm sure they'll forgive me for not marrying at the moment." Straightening out her dress and naturally looking regal, she turned to the door. "If you'll excuse me, I have royal duties to do...like meeting my makeup artist for this ridiculous ball!" She began walking out, but stopped at the door. "And Coran?"

"Yes, Princess."

"I'm marrying for love. Do you understand? My parents did it, my grandparents did it. I want my chance too." Smiling, she exclaimed, "Have a great day!" with a curtsey that left the room laughing, minus one person.

After she left, Coran turned to Lance. "Really, you do like putting me in these types of situations, Lieutenant."

Lance eyes widened innocently. "Who? Me? Coran, please, I never meant any harm." He turned to his best friend and found him smiling as he continued to look at the paper work; a smile that told more than he realized.


	4. Chapter 4

A multitude of thanks to my wonderful editors and their thoughts, ideas, contributions and suggestions! Kisses!

Here's Chapter 4:

_I try falling out of love, but falling out of love means falling into someone else, and you were  
the one I tripped for.~_ Lindsey Caitlyn Emery

4. The Other Side of the Spectrum

The Academy's bar and grill filled with a large amount of Alliance officers talking and enjoying the coming of the weekend. Many danced to the rhythm of the music the rock band performed from the stage, while others played billiards, darts or virtual reality war games from the medium sized playroom located in the corner of the venue. At the bar, a young woman sat whispering something to a young man seated next to her.

"I think it's for the best, Jake."

The man stared at her incredulously then ran his hands through his cropped short hair. "You're kidding me Erin! I swear you..."

The girl nervously tucked her sandy hair behind one ear as she interrupted him. "Jake, please understand. Why continue something that's not going to go anywhere? We only dated for two months. I'm sure from the beginning you knew we had no chemistry."

"There's no chemistry because you won't allow any! Damn it Erin. You have a history of doing this with every guy you date. How stupid of me to think our relationship would be any different!"

Erin sighed in frustration. "Why are you making this harder?"

"Why? Why? You really are something else Erin! When will you realize that he's gone?"

At that question, Erin's body went rigid.

Nodding harshly, Jake continued. "He's gone Erin. I'm pretty sure he's moved on with his life. You should too. When you realize that_ that_ part of your life is over, maybe then you will move on and hopefully give some other schmuck a decent chance with you."

She looked down, unable to face him…unable to face his words.

He finished, "Goodbye Erin." The young man stood up and left her abruptly.

Sighing with relief and frustration, Erin turned around to face the bartender. "Jesse, can you bring me a beer?"

"Sure thing, Erin." Replied the older man as he grabbed a bottle from below the counter and opened it before he offered it to her. "To your sorrows!" He stated half laughing.

"Whatever, Jessie," she answered him with a smug smile as she rolled her eyes. She took a sip of her bottle when she heard a female voice speak to her.

"I'm sorry," she heard the female voice state.

She turned to find a young woman, about her age, maybe a bit older, with long blonde wavy hair and blue eyes smiling at her. Again, she repeated what she said, "I apologize, I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation, but I'm sorry for what happened."

Erin shrugged her shoulders, "It happens. What can I say? We didn't have any chemistry."

The blonde laughed. "I know what you mean!"

Erin smiled back. "You don't look like an officer. I mean, I've never seen you around campus."

"Well, I'm not," the blonde answered with a giggle. "Actually, I'm with the guy over there," she gestured to the area where a bunch of men played virtual darts, drinking and laughing loudly. "The other blonde with the wavy hair."

"Adam brought you?" Erin asked curiously. "Man, he's worse than me. I heard he broke up with Sheila just yesterday."

"Ahh," The girl answered. "So that explains why I'm here and he's there!"

Erin laughed "Don't take it personally. Adam is just Adam...great soldier, awful with the ladies. My name is Erin by the way."

"Angie," she answered extending her hand to shake Erin's. "Nice to meet you. I really didn't mean to barge in on your business. I have been sitting here for about a half hour and I'm bored out of my mind!"

"He's kept you here all that time!" Erin exclaimed in shock. "Bastard!"

Taking her drink, Angie pulled her stool closer to Erin, "It's ok. You seem much more interesting. So, who's that guy you spoke of with your now former ex, I mean, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No, not at all." Erin paused for a bit, "He's a pilot. We met at the academy when he was a senior; I was a sophomore back then. I guess, to me, it seemed like love at first sight. Corny, right?"

"No, not at all." Angie smiled sympathetically.

"Anyway, after he graduated we continued dating for a couple of months and then Garrison assigned him his first mission. He left, I stayed."

"Looks like you never had closure." Angie told her patting Erin's shoulder in a gesture of support.

"Well, we talked for a while after. You know, he called me from his post, but I noticed something different in the way he spoke. I never did ask him, though."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, Erin continued, "I don't know. He seemed the same, but I felt something different in him. I thought he found someone else. I became jealous, didn't think things through and I told him I was dating someone. He seemed a bit angry at first but then he wished me the best and we never spoke again."

"You weren't dating anyone, right?"

"Well, yes and no. I dated others, but no one special. I figured if he was dating someone over at his station, I had the right to do the same."

"Ahh."

"Yeah, but then a few months ago, a friend of his came by on leave and I ran into him. He told me that he's never dated. 'Too busy ordering people around' he told me." She finished laughing.

"And then all your feelings came back with even stronger?"

Erin widened her eyes, "Yes!" She almost shouted then she lowered her voice, "But now, I don't know what to do. I want to contact him, but I'm afraid to." She took a long gulp of her beer and looked down at her bottle, thinking.

"Well, what can I tell you?" Angie stated and then took a long gulp of her drink as well. "Falling in love sucks!"

"Boy, are you right." Erin answered nodding.

The cheers and roars from the guys became louder. Both women turned. "I guess someone finally won a game." Angie stated. "Well, Erin," she turned toward her brief companion, facing her, "I guess we're not going to solve our love problems tonight! I better go, it's late anyway."

"Guess not. You want me to help you reel in Adam?"

"No," she replied shaking her head. "He's having too much fun over there without me. I'm calling this our official last date!"

Erin laughed. "Sorry."

Angie shrugged her shoulders. "That's all right. Hey, you know where I can call for a cab?"

"At this time?" Erin questioned, "Oh, Angie, that's not safe. How about I take you home? Do you live far?"

"No, just ten minutes or so from the Academy. You don't mind?"

"Not at all." She answered, standing up. She began to pull out some money from her pockets, but Angie beat her to it.

"Jessie, right?" Angie called out.

The older man walked toward them from across the bar, "Yeah."

"Here," Angie handed him some money. "For my friend and I, keep the change."

Jessie smiled, "Thanks. Hey Erin, keep this one!" He looked at the money, delighted with the huge tip coming to him after the bill cleared.

Erin smiled. "Oh boy. You just made a brand new friend." She told Angie.

"Hey, it's the least I can do. You're taking me home."

Both women walked out of the bar and headed toward the parking lot. "Here's my car," Erin pointed to a black color vehicle. She pressed a button from her key card and the doors to the vehicle opened upward. Both women climbed in.

As the doors closed, Erin started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Angie turned to watch her new friend driving. "Hey, I never asked you. What's Prince Charming's name?"

Erin smiled, "Prince Charming…classic!" She laughed along with Angie. "Keith. His name is Keith Kogane."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith walked to the vehicle bay with a packed brown bag that one of the maids kindly prepared for him. Once again, he missed lunch. Earlier he met with the group of palace guards for a meeting that lasted two and a half hours, instead of the presumed one hour he thought it would take to speak to them. By the time he walked into the dining room, everyone else had finished lunch and resumed their duties. Thank goodness for Anit, Nanny's second in command. She kindly prepared him a sandwich, a nice bag of grapes and cold drink to go along with it.

About to eat in his office, Coran suddenly stopped him when he looked at his tired semblance and ordered him to have his lunch somewhere more relaxing. So Keith took the opportunity and decided to head to the lake to relax for a least an hour.

As he walked into the vehicle bay, he heard a voice from afar, "Keith."

He turned to find Allura walking briskly up to him, "Where are you going?"

"Coran won't let me work and eat, so he ordered me to go somewhere relaxing." He answered, shaking his head with a smile.

Looking at his tired eyes, she understood why, "You wouldn't mind some company would you?" She pleaded with her eyes.

At this Keith flushed a bit, rarely did he have the opportunity to sit with Allura alone. "Princess, it's not that I don't want you to come, but if Nanny and Coran see we're alone…"

"Oh, please Keith!" she almost exclaimed. "Nanny has had me trying on shoes all day for god's sake! I need a break! I couldn't even have lunch today with the group."

Sighing and with a smile, he nodded, "All right, but we'll have to tell Lance where we are," he told her as he motioned her to follow him to a vehicle.

"Thank you!" Allura exclaimed, warmly.

"All right, hop in," Keith replied, as he took out his comm. "Lance?"

From the comm., he heard his friend answer, "You haven't left yet? What the hell Keith? I've never met anyone who procrastinated so much to take a break!"

"Shut up, you moron, I'm going…just wanted to let you know that the Princess is with me."

Sitting in the control room, a smile appeared on Lance's face. "Really…?"

"She…umm…needs a break from Nanny. Please let Coran know."

"What if Nanny asks me?"

"Have Coran answer her!" Keith immediately replied. "I need _you_ safe too!"

Allura and Lance laughed.

"All right, will do Commander." The lieutenant told him. "I'll contact you if we need anything."

"Thanks, Kogane out."

Turning to Allura who sat happily in the vehicle, smiling at him, he asked her, "So you didn't have lunch either?"

"Nope, but don't worry about me. I just want to escape from Nanny's grasp for a while. You don't mind the company? "

"Of course not." Keith reassured her, "How about we do this? Would you like to split a turkey and Swiss sandwich with me?"

Smiling she answered him, "Oh, I couldn't possibly eat your lunch."

"Princess, it'd be an honor to share my lunch with you."

The tranquility of the lake made Keith smile. He heard the rustle of the leaves and grass from the soft winds and the sounds of the ripples in the water as a couple of turtles swam about. The pair had just finished sharing the lunch he had brought and now just relaxed in silence.

Allura took notice of how Keith seemed far away, lost in thought, but peaceful.

"Where are you?" She asked, tilting her head toward him.

As if snapped back to the present, he turned to her, "What do you mean?"

"You seemed far away."

Sighing, Keith turned once again to the view in front of him, "I'm just enjoying this."

"What?" She smiled, a bit confused.

"Silence. I notice so many things going on in and around the castle all at once. It's so busy there. Being here makes me...I don't know…reflect on my thoughts."

Nodding in understanding, Allura inquired, "What do you think about?"

"Memories of the past, most of the time."

She smiled again, still amazed by the look of peace on his face. "What memories do you think about?"

"Sometimes I think of my times at the academy, those are my favorite memories, or things I did as a kid, but more often, I take this time to think of my parents."

At that statement, her interest peaked even more. "You've never talked much about them."

He smiled at her and she arched a brow at him. "Ok, you've never talked about them!"

"There's really not that much to tell. I don't remember much about them. They passed away when I was five." He continued speaking without facing her, "I guess I just think more about the would have's rather than what actually occurred when I lived with them. They passed away when I was five, so I don't have too many memories of them."

Allura's expression changed to concern and sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"That's ok. I sometimes come here and think about the things I can remember and sometimes my mind kind of daydreams things or events that would have been great if they had been alive."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Graduation, birthdays, Christmases….events like that."

Allura's interest continued and she dared to probe him a bit more, "Keith, who took care of you when you where young, I mean after your parent's passing? I mean, didn't they speak to you about your parents?"

"No," he flatly replied.

"I'm sorry." She told him. From the look on his face, Allura could tell he didn't want any more inquiries, so she stopped.

"That's okay." Keith quickly changed the subject and looked at her. "So, how about you Princess? What do you think about this party of yours?"

Allura's eyes grew wide. "You mean what Nanny considers, my pre engagement party?" She replied with a grim face, "It's driving me crazy. To think they expect me to find someone there I can love? Ridiculous. No. I'd like to actually love the person I'm going to marry. Believe me when I tell you, there's no Prince in the ball that I'll fall for." She finished with a smile.

She noticed that Keith's expression changed from curiosity to concern. "Would you only marry a Prince?"

Sighing, the princess answered, "Well, tradition dictates it."

Keith nods in understanding, but doesn't answer her.

"But," she continued. "Traditions are meant to be broken and as you already know, I'm not your traditional princess." Allura finished with a wink.

At this he laughed, and so did she.

After a moment of silence, Keith finally spoke, "I may not have a chance to tell you this...starting tomorrow the castle will become a much bigger mad house than it usually is." He paused and looked at her with the gentlest stare she had ever seen in him, "Happy eighteenth birthday, Princess Allura," he told her with genuine feeling. She smiled and hugged him tightly. When the embrace ended, they looked at each other; and something within both of them prevented breaking eye contact. The sound of nature continued around them and for a moment, they enjoyed that stillness and peaceful calm while lost in each other.

The sound of Keith's comm. unit going off broke their moment. Keith forced himself to look away as he took the unit out of his pocket. "Kogane."

"Keith. Nanny's on a rampage looking for Allura." Lance barked. "She says that if she's not here in ten, she's banning us from the party. Can she do that? I mean, does she have the authority to ban us, Keith?" Lance sounded nervous.

Looking at Allura, the Commander rolled his eyes as the princess giggled, "Don't worry Lance. Allura has your back."

Both of them hear Lance snort back. "Right! Hurry back. I'm not taking any chances with Nanny. McClain out!"

Allura continued giggling at Lance's antics. "We better go." Keith told her. "He'll kill me if he doesn't go to this thing. He wants to let the princesses invited know that he's just as good a catch as any Prince."

Allura shook her head, "Oh, Lance." Keith helped her up and walked her to the land vehicle they took. As he opened the door to let her in she stopped him, "Keith?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind escorting me to the party tomorrow?"

"I thought Coran would do that."

"Yeah, I spoke to him about that. I just feel like a baby being brought in by her father. I asked if any of you boys could do that for me and well...you don't mind, do you?"

Keith's eyes lit up. "I'm honored. No, I wouldn't mind at all."

"Great!" Allura told him with a quick hug. "Thank you. Well, we better go before Lance ends up killing us!"


	5. Chapter 5

Big kiss to my wonderful editors! Muah!

Chapter 5---Aggressiveness For A Life Well Deserved

_Someone may have stolen your dream when it was young and fresh and you were innocent. Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate. Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible.--**Jane Rubietta**_

When Erin came to, she smelled the stench of blood surrounding her. The reeking odor traveled up her nostrils and down her throat, the iron-like smell made her immediately gag. The dark, cold, wet surroundings contributed to her rapid beating heart. She tried to call out for help, but found that her voice had left her.

Finally using all her strength, she called out, "H-h-h-elp! H-h-elp me!"

Hearing no response, except for the faint echo of her words, she rose and stood against a cold stone wall, almost blacking out again. However, Erin controlled that feeling and forced herself to remain awake despite the mist of fuzziness she felt within herself.

She tried to remember how she arrived in the dark place that held her captive. Unable to at first, a sudden small flash lit up her mind. "An-g—iee," Erin whispered. The image of a blonde girl smiling at her in the bar drifted into her thoughts.

Then other flashes ensued: _the bar, I took her home._ She thought to herself and remembered driving her home. _On a road....a very bright light..._._screams_. She didn't remember if the screams came from her own mouth. _Then...darkness_.

_Oh my God! That means they have Angie too!_ "Angie!" Erin called out again. Nothing. "Angie!" Frustrated, scared and now angry, she built her up her remaining strength and screamed, "Where the hell am I?" then let out an exasperated sigh. "Who the fuck are you?"

Suddenly the lights turned on. At first she covered her eyes; unable to take in the bright lights that hit her pupils. Gradually she lifted her hands away and slowly adjusted her eyes in order to see. As Erin's sight adjusted steadily to the area, she began to see a tall blue skinned man in few steps away from her.

She pushed herself to the wall, trying to stay away from him at first, but then, she settled herself and stood tall, remembering her training, "Who are you?" Erin asked, firmly.

The blue skinned man smiled. "I find it rather interesting that you do not know who I am, Sergeant Erin Hawkins, daughter to Colonel James Hawkins from Galaxy Garrison, Earth."

Erin hesitated at first with surprise, _how does he know me?_ But she wouldn't let him gloat by her lack of knowledge. Her anger increased as she took a step forward, "Will you just tell me who the hell you are?" she spat out.

Smiling and with a little laughed. "I'm King Zarkon, Ms. Hawkins. Welcome to Planet Doom."

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

Lotor opened his eyes once more and found himself in hell again. The guards who dropped him earlier had some fun by punching and hitting him maliciously before throwing him into the pit. His ribs still ached, his eyes almost swollen shut, his ankle sprained, and his once soft, lustrous hair, now tangled from the elements of Doom, made him unrecognizable. He thought about being thankful for that. If anyone found out he had now joined them, they would do worse to him than the guards.

He tried to rise, but someone stopped him. "Lie down Prince. You're still not well."

"Who are you?" Lotor's raspy voice asked.

"You don't remember?"

Lotor looked at the old human man through the narrow slits of his swollen eyes. A long white beard fell under his chin. Though balding at the top, long hair from the back of his head fell to his shoulders. He wore torn pants and a shirt much too large for him. Evidently the old man hadn't found much in here to keep him healthy. He looked dirty, his eyes almost caramel in color, looked at the Prince with interest.

"No, I don't. Tell me who you are."

"My name is Danner. I'm from Planet Sirus. You conquered my planet five years ago and took my village captive and well..." He told him with a sad smile, "I'm here now." The old man offered Lotor a drink from a bucket. "Here, this is all I could find…I snuck into the wells and stole some water." He picked up a ladle from the bucket and extended it to Lotor.

The former Prince began to rise, but once again Danner stopped him. "Rise slowly Lord, your ribs are badly bruised. It will take you some time to heal. You've been slipping in and out of consciousness for the last two days."

Lotor rose slowly, took the ladle and sipped. Once he drank what he needed, he gave the man the ladle back. "Give me more," he ordered. Again, the old man dunked the ladle in the bucket, retrieved some water, and gave it to the prince. Lotor couldn't help but ask, "Why are you helping me?"

The old man smiled sympathetically. "I was working at one of the mines when I heard some guards tell another that the King had banished you to the Pit. Upon hearing that information, I snuck onto a transport coming this way, hiding on back of the ship. Then, I escaped soon after. I saw what they did to you, my Lord. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything to stop them. I waited until they left. Once they did, I went after you. I've been taking care of you since then."

The Doom prince looked at the old man with disbelief. "I don't understand…why you are doing this...for me?"

Nodding in understanding, Danner looked at him. "Sire, you destroyed my world. I have nothing. My family died during your conquest and I have no home. I figured my only chance at living the last years of my life in peace is to help you. I have hopes that you will rise again and when you do, I'd like you to remember and allow me to live the last years of my life in a comfortable place."

"And how do you suppose I'll raise again, old man?" Lotor laughed. "My father has completely disowned me. We're here forever…accept your fate."

Sighing, Danner seemed even more destroyed. "I...I had hopes..."

Lotor lay back down. "You thought wrong," he answered flatly.

"You don't care what happens to you?"

He closes his eyes, "No... once healed, I'll do whatever I need to do, _by myself_."

"I heard from the guards that the King has chosen the person who will take your place. They'll crown a new prince very soon."

"What?" Lotor rose and grimaced at the pain. "What do you mean?"

"That's what I heard, Sire." The old man raised his voice. "King Zarkon plans on crowning a new Prince of Doom very soon."

Lotor's anger brewed. He actually believed what happened to him seemed like another one of his father's ridiculous tests his Father decided for him. He never expected Zarkon to actually replace him. _Fucking son of a bitch!_ He thought. This time his father had gone too far and he would not allow him, _the sick fuck!_

"I need to go back," he immediately demanded, but it seemed that he spoke to himself rather than the old man. Looking at Danner, Lotor asked, "How do we return to the castle?"

"The lower tunnels of the pit lead back to the mines. Not many know this; I discovered it for myself many years back. I can guide you through there. But it will take two weeks time on foot."

"Shit!"

"But, not all is lost, Sire. I've made friends in the Pit. I'm sure I can gather us food and water through our travels. Once we arrive at the mines, it will take us a couple of days to reach the castle. From there, I can no longer help you."

"No worries, old man," Lotor told him as he gestured for another drink of water. The old man immediately offered it. "Once we arrive, leave everything else to me."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The students, whose eyes filled with floating thoughts of confusion, stared intently at the instructor who continued her lecture on DNA reconstruction and reconfiguration. All 30 pairs of eyes stayed focused on the smart board so intently that one of the students sitting in the front rubbed his eyes in frustration, trying to keep up with the instructor's fast hand writing on the screen.

With her slight French accent, she continued speaking like a person possessed, clearly living in the moment as her excitement with the subject electrified her. Her dark auburn hair, held back in a ponytail, swung from one end to another as she wrote on the screen.

"So, as you can see, genetic reconstruction requires complex analytical methods." She finished as she turned around and faced her class. She smiled when she saw the blank faces staring back at her.

"Who actually read the material?" she asked the class.

Almost all of them raised their hands. She sighed, shaking her head. Suddenly her attention flew to a figure that stood by the entrance of the classroom. The woman, a tall blonde, her hair pulled back in a bun, wore a grey Garrison uniform perfectly pressed and fitted to her form. She stood with a briefcase by her side, waiting.

After seeing the woman, the instructor looked at her class again, "All right, ladies and gentlemen, look over the chapter one more time tonight. We will go over it again tomorrow. Class dismissed."

Hearing the moans and groans as the students stood up to leave, she noticed the tall blonde walk inside classroom as the students walked out. She met the instructor by the podium in the front of the room.

"Dr. Maryann Marseille?" Asked the blonde in a serious tone.

"Yes," Maryann's soft voice stated. "How may I help you?"

Changing her serious tone to a much softer one, the blonde responded, "My name is Lieutenant Commander Angela Starr and Dr. Marseille, it is you who can help me."

They both headed out of the Stoker School of Science and Technological Studies, one of the buildings located at the Academy. Both women walked among the many Academy cadets who either ran to their next classes or rested along the many green areas of the campus.

A sunny and windy day welcomed both Maryann and the Lieutenant as they spoke to each other. The blonde woman, studied the young woman who walked beside her, "So Dr. Marseille, you seem rather young to teach such an in depth subject. Please do not take the statement the wrong way, I am quite impressed."

Maryann smiled, "Well," she began, her slight French accent making an appearance once more, "If you think I'm smart, you should meet my brother Luc. He's the one with the brains in the family."

The Lieutenant smiled back. "Well, I guess we could spend time talking about our families, I have a few interesting characters myself, but I'm sure you are more interested in knowing why I am here."

"Yes, the thought did cross my mind."

Nodding in agreement, the blonde commenced speaking. "A few Garrison officials informed me that you are working on mind control and behavior modification technology for Drules."

Stopping midstep, Maryann stared at Starr. "How did you know about that? It's privileged and confidential information."

The serious look on Starr's face returned. "I know. Unfortunately, we have a high level emergency and we need your help. Is there a place we can speak?"

"My laboratory, I have an office there. Please, follow me."

Nodding in agreement, the Lieutenant followed Maryann across the campus.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The Garrison's Genetics Laboratory buzzed with officers in lab coats, walking throughout the area holding data pads. Others worked on the computers located within the room. The Lieutenant noticed the interesting layout of the lab.

Shaped like a long rectangle, the room held six different subject rooms that contained see-through glass doors for viewing. Inside each room, hovering in empty space floated a hot water surgical table. Also inside each room, a black square window stood directly in back of the bed, most likely holding other equipment to control the rooms. Outside each room, powerful, monster machines capable of DNA extraction, DNA sequencing, and cloning stood tall. The middle of the room held smaller workstations with computer and lab tables full of microscopes and other lab equipment.

Because the staff worked diligently on their tasks and because everyone could identify the doctor and the Garrison uniform on the blonde, no one took notice the two women walking in. Maryann headed straight into an office located at the farthest end of the lab, across from the entrance doors both women had previously walked in. Once inside the office, the Lieutenant looked around and noticed the office filled with books, massive amounts of paperwork, and three computer screens on the table.

"I'm sorry for the mess, but I've been working on that project for almost six months and we're finally ready for the second phase."

"You mean you're ready to experiment on the Drules?"

Maryann shook her head excitedly. "We've already begun. Second phase means that we're ready to make the modifications we've tested permanent." She held her hand out and gestured the Lieutenant to sit. "Now, before we begin, I'd like to know how _you_ know about this project. Only a few people in Garrison know about it."

"I was sent by one of those who know, General Hawkins."

Maryann looked at the blonde with suspicious eyes, anger began to form in her eyes, "I don't believe you. Why hasn't he contacted me? Why didn't anyone tell me you would show up here today?"

"I've been sent under classified pretenses." She replied, as she took a seat, "Dr. Marseille, what I'm going to tell you will be bittersweet. I'm actually here to pick up the sample chips you plan to use on your Drule subjects."

"Excuse me?" Maryann argued, her anger intensified and her temper rose, "What right do you have to take away those chips? I've been working on them for almost a year!" Her French accent became more evident the angrier she became. "Who gave you authorization to do this?"

"Admiral Graham and General Hawkins," The Lieutenant answered. Her features grew cold, no emotion emanating from Maryann's reaction.

"What? They both gave me absolute control on this project. I want to know who is taking over!"

Angela Starr's facial expression changed from cold and distant to reassuring. She leaned forward, placed her hands on the table and lowered her voice to a soothing tone. "Please don't blame them, Doctor. " She paused for a moment before adding, "You need to keep what I am about to tell with the strictest of confidence. Am I able to trust you?"

Her tone and manner changed Maryann's furious gaze to one of slight concern. "Of course, what is going on?"

"General Hawkin's daughter has been captured by Doom. "

"Oh no!"

Taking a deep breath, Starr continued. "We are sure that they captured her two days ago. The mystery lies in that they have not called for a ransom or even to tell us that they have her."

"Are you sure it is them?"

"We are absolutely sure, Doctor." She answered her, keeping her cat like eyes locked on Maryann. "Her car was found in the middle of highway 35 and forensics found Drule DNA and fingerprints inside the car. We believe she was traveling with someone else, but we're not sure. This is why we need the chips. We would like to send a Drule spy to Doom to locate her."

"But, we're not finished with the research!" Maryann countered.

"Your research shows a ninety percent level of success with Drule behavior modification. We don't expect him to stay that long on Doom. He will either retrieve her or find a way to have Erin escape on her own."

Quiet for a moment, Maryann pondered. _'This seems so strange. But I have to help the General, how could I not?'_ "Where is the General, I'd like to speak to him about this?"

Starr smiled, "Unfortunately, the General is on his way to Arus. He's enlisted the Voltron Force for help. They, unfortunately, cannot go to Doom. Their presence will surely alert Zarkon and his army. We believe they are planning to stand by in case of retaliation."

Maryann shook her head with hesitation, "I…I can't just give you something so important…so confidential…just like that!"

At this, Angela picked up her briefcase and opened it. She retrieved from it a data pad, one officially used by the Garrison and gave it to Maryann before closing the case, "These are official orders from the Admiral to allow me to retrieve the chips from you. Doctor, I guarantee that once this is over, you will have them back."

Maryann read the order, _these are official_, she told herself. Resigned, she nodded and gave Angela the data pad back. She pondered the situation a bit more, before she released a deep sigh. Maryann stood up and walked over to a safe embedded in one of the walls of the office. Pressing her hand on a sensor, the safe immediately opened and the doctor retrieved two chips covered by a clear glass case. She also took out a small device, resembling an air-powered medical injector. She walked back over to Starr, who took them immediately.

"That is a Pneumatic Injector," Maryann tells told her, referring to the medical gun-like device. "You will use one of the chips and load the injector like you would one of those 21st century guns, in the cylinder."

"Where is the best place to implant?"

"The Cervical Plexus."

Star looked at her confused. Maryann laughed a little. "In the neck. It's the closest place we could find that would deliver the messages from the chip without any brain wave interruption."

Nodding in understanding, Starr continued. "So what can we expect? How will the Drule behave?"

"It works by brainwashing the subject's perception of the truth. The chip has embedded messages which only they can hear. In the Drule's case, it forces the subject to believe that they in fact are humans, they won't question the differences in physique or the fact that they look different from those they take orders from. They are programmed to have more human feelings than those of normal Drules, so they will not show any violence or aggressiveness."

"Can the program be altered? In case, let's say, the subject is captured."

"When we have the finalized project, that chip cannot be altered. Unfortunately, these are prototypes that were going to be used in phase two. At this point, if we need to change a code or modify a behavior, we can change them within a moment."

"I see." Starr replied looking at the chips. "Another question Doctor, are there any side effects we should look for?"

"We tried it on Earth animals and some Drule animals captured on military missions, we found no side effects. However, when we tried it on Drules, they experienced a slight fever, a reaction to a foreign object inserted in their body." Maryann leaned back against her desk as she continued speaking. "A slight period of disorientation followed, since the Drule fought both Drule and human behavior until the human behavior won out. Our studies showed that it took a couple of hours before transformation completed."

Starr reopened her briefcase and placed all four items in it. Closing the briefcase, she stood up and extended her hand. "Thank you Doctor." She told Maryann as she took her hand and shook it. "I will have General Hawkins contact you, should you have any questions and, of course, to let you know if our mission was a success."

The Lieutenant turned and began walking out the door. Maryann abruptly stopped her. "Wait! You still have not told me when you plan on using my project and with whom."

"Well, we plan on using your project within the next couple of days and we have the perfect subject." She answered her with a big grin, but not offering her real answers. "Don't worry Doctor. Your creation is in the best of hands, I promise. Oh, and please, keep this to yourself until the General contacts you."

Maryann nodded, still unsure. "Yes, of course."

Walking out of the door, Starr suddenly turned and faced Maryann. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"One more question, I'm just curious…if the chip was implanted inside a human subject, what would the side effects be?"

Looking at her inquisitively, Maryann inquired, "Why would you ask me that, Lieutenant?"

"No reason...just out of my own curiosity, really. I've always been rather interested in this type of research."

Shrugging her shoulders, Maryann simply stated. "The chemistry of a Drules' body is not that much different from a human's. Human brain waves and immune systems are different however. Humans may fight the chip more aggressively since they possess more conscious and moral behaviors than a Drule, but we think the outcome _might_ be the same. Give or take some behaviors of course. The human brain, because of emotion, might actually fight it subconsciously as well."

"I see."

"I'm simply not sure. It isn't meant for humans. I'm really just hypothesizing."

Starr tilted her head and smiled. "Thank you so much again for your help Dr. Marseille. You'll hear from us soon." She told her as she turned around and walked out the door.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Lieutenant Commander Angela Starr took a deep breath of satisfaction. Walking outside into the sun, she couldn't remember a day being as bright as this one. Years had passed since she had last seen a sunny day. Making sure that no one stood around to listen to her as she walked to her next location, she retrieved her comm. unit from her pocket. "This is Starr. I have the package. Everything went according to plan. Pick me up at the planned rendezvous point in fifteen minutes. Starr out."

As she looked around the campus one more time, she grinned even more. She hadn't seen a bright sunny day for years nor had she seen a happy day either. Today the sun shined on her and if everything went according to plan, happy days would soon follow.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, I'm so loving my story…I can't help it.

Again, thank you to my editors! Here's six!

Chapter 6: Safe Silence

_Even silence speaks._ -Hausa Proverb

Keith, locked in concentration, read the latest reports the Garrison sent a short time ago on the current Drule activities. His attention, so focused on what laid in front of him, didn't allow him to notice the doors of his office open.

"Don't you ever get tired of reading?" He heard the voice of his second in command.

"No," the commander answered, not bothering to look up.

"Keith, there's like a party tonight, the castle is going wild, Hunk and Pidge even convinced Nanny herself to press their uniforms. I am preparing the most unique pick up lines ever heard on Arus and you..." he continued offering a disgusted look, "you sit and read boring Garrison reports. What gives?"

Beginning to write on his data pad, Keith replied without looking up. "Nothing gives Lance; work must be done…despite the party."

Raising his eyebrow, Lance smiled, "You should see Allura in that new dress she's wearing tonight!"

With that statement, Keith immediately looked up and stopped working, "You saw the Princess?"

"No, but I sure as hell got your attention!" Lance laughed.

Rolling his eyes, a tone of annoyance leaked through his question, "Did you come here to irritate the hell out of me?" He asked looking back at his paperwork.

"No, I came here to see if I can finally convince you to tell the Princess what you feel for her."

"What are you talking about Lance?" Keith suddenly asked, surprised.

"Don't bullshit me Commander. You can't hide things from me."

Going back to writing on his data pad, Keith tried to dismiss his friend and avoid a topic of conversation that he did not want to start at the moment, "Lance, I have a lot of work to finish and the party tonight is going to delay me as it is..."

"I know you love her. Am I wrong?"

The question froze him. He wanted to avoid it desperately, but just hearing it aloud made him unable to elude his best friend's interrogation. Placing the data pad down on his desk, he stood up and walked to the window overlooking the palace gardens, "No…you're not….I've loved her from the moment I stepped into this castle and gazed at her as she walked down the steps."

"Didn't picture you as a romantic." Lance told him as he walked closer to the desk.

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith replied, "I wasn't. She kind of brings that out in me. I thought at first I just had a crush, maybe an infatuation. I had never met a princess before, so I assumed my emotions had gotten the better of me."

"Not to mention the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous," Lance added slyly.

Keith smiled, "I don't think her beauty escaped anyone of us Lance, but that's not the reason I fell in love with her. You know what I saw when she walked down that staircase? I saw an angel." He turned and faced his friend, whose look of complete shock made him slightly laugh inwardly.

Lance had never this side of his friend and Commander. _The man's completely in love with her_.

Keith ignored him, "But beyond that, I saw a woman whose eyes reflected bravery, passion, determination and a love for everything and anything in her life. She captivated me. I belonged to her the moment she looked at me."

"It's been two years since then, Keith, why haven't you told her? And please don't feed me that bull about you being a soldier and she a Princess. You've heard her yourself, she'd marry whomever she chose, Prince or not."

"No, it's much more complicated than that." Keith stated as he rubbed his eyes with one hand and took a seat back at his desk, "I have never felt for anyone what I feel for Allura. No one Lance. If...if I tell her and I find out she doesn't feel the same way..." he sighed, "Lance, I don't know if my heart is capable of opening itself for someone other than Allura."

"Aren't you being a tad extreme Keith?"

Looking up at the ceiling, the Commander replied "I love her more than my life. I'd die for her without thinking twice about it. Death for her is beyond duty."

Lance saw his friend's expression and took in the seriousness of his words. Keith felt very strongly about his love for the Princess; the passion within him extended beyond just the military. Lance knew that no other woman in his friend's life would evoke the same feelings he had at the moment, at least, not another who Keith would give his complete heart to. This realization, however, didn't excuse him from taking a risk. Some part of Lance knew that Allura felt the same way, even though she didn't voice it as Keith did.

"From what I see here, you have two choices my friend."

"What?"

Crossing his arms on his chest, he shrugged, "You tell her and become the happiest man walking on Arus or stay in that wallowing pit you seem to have dug yourself into."

"It's not that easy."

"Why?"

Sighing heavily, he smiled in a regretful way, probably already sorry for what he would voice aloud at Lance, "Ok, but this stays here and I don't want pity parties or any crap like that from you either!"

"Sure, Keith." Lance nodded, concern now showing in his face. Keith never spoke so openly, to anyone. This seemed serious.

"You know that my parents died when I was five."

"Aha,"

Running his hands through his hair, he continued, "I had also told you that my aunt and uncle sent me to the academy when I was twelve. I lied."

Lance's eyes opened, "But..."

"Let me finish. After my parents passed, the state warded custody of me to my mother's sister and her husband, but what I didn't tell you was that my stay there was short lived. Six months to be exact. My aunt was not motherly like my mom and my uncle, well, he never really cared for children. Anyway, they gave me up when they realized that a five year old put a cramp on their style, so I was pushed from one foster home to another. By the time I turned eleven, I wasn't exactly the poster child you met at the academy. I was basically a petty thief on the road to becoming a professional one. A pretty good too; never once got caught."

"What changed you?"

"My last foster parent turned out to be Admiral Graham."

Lance's eyes opened even wider, "No way! Graham was your guardian?" He took a seat on one of the chairs, getting himself comfortable for he knew there was more to the story. He listened as Keith continued.

"I spent a year with him and his family and by the time I turned twelve, he enlisted me. That year with him turned me around. He taught me discipline, responsibility and integrity. When he enlisted me, Garrison made him Admiral and I told him I didn't want any special treatment. I wanted to go through everything on my own. So at my request, we maintained his guardianship a secret. I was treated the same as everyone else."

"I'm sorry, Keith."

"Don't be. I'm not. It's just that...as corny as it sounds, I've never had a place to call home. From the moment I set foot on Arus, I felt I had a home for the first time. Telling Allura would not only put my heart on the line, but I'd also lose the only place I've ever felt at home."

They kept silent for a moment, neither saying a word until Lance finally spoke up, "I understand why you feel chained to secrecy, Keith. But, what good is a home if you can't enjoy everything that makes it a home in the first place?"

At this Keith sighed. "Lance, she's not interested in marriage."

"Who's talking about marriage?" Lance questioned.

"Are you kidding me, you can't date someone on Arus, much less Allura! Besides, even if she felt anything for me, it's not like Coran will let us date. He'll want a marriage and she has made it quite clear that she doesn't want to settle down."

"She doesn't want that commitment because she can't marry the one she loves. I know she's in love with you."

Keith turned around, his eyebrow arched in disbelief, "Why are so sure she's in love with me?"

"I'm more than sure. Keith, I have a knack for these things. I know what I see."

A snort came out of his friend as he rolled his eyes. "Lance, I need to get back to work. This conversation is over."

Lance stood up, "Just think about what I told you. Let her know, you might be pleasantly surprised." With that, he turned to the door. "I need to get ready. You should do the same."

When he left, Keith sat back at his desk. Taking a deep breath, he pondered on Lance's words, _'What if I was pleasantly surprised?'_ Not bothering to look at the paperwork, he began to daydream about a possible life with Allura by his side.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Lotor continued along the treacherous trail of the Pit. Every now and again, he would encounter a slave or someone he had bestowed the punishment he now suffered. They wanted to fight him. Some did and each and every time he fought back with such intensity and hatred. His companion always stepped aside and watched in horror as Lotor dismantled every person in his way with his fists.

He felt exhausted and hungry, but that was okay, revenge would keep feeding him as he continued. His only solace was that with each step he took, he was one step closer to killing the very being that put him there …Zarkon.

"He'll pay for this!" he kept howling aloud; his only words as he continued on his destructive path.

"Sire, if you will, consider this a test, a challenge. Pass it, and realize nothing can stop you."

As Lotor continued on his way, he smiled. '_Yes, nothing_.' He told himself inwardly. Nothing would stop him. Once he reached his father, he would no longer be the Prince of Doom, but rather the King among all kings. The greatest King Doom had ever seen.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

James Hawkins couldn't stop himself from walking around his office, located in one of Garrison's elite warships. _Forty-eight four hours and no one has seen or heard from Erin,_ he thought. A frustrated breath escaped him.

He didn't know what happened, the entire situation seemed strange. Again, he replayed in his mind what he read on the reports. Her car was found in the middle of the road, both driver and passenger doors left open. _Which meant she was with someone, _Hawkins thought. Yet, no signs of struggle or anything out of the ordinary were discovered. The car was intact, even her belonging were left inside the car. _'Nothing stolen.' _he thought again. Nothing seemed right and worse, no one had called for a ransom either.

Nervous, Hawkins sighed. Whoever took Erin played the game too well. He turned to his desk and sat down, beginning to read the report once more on his data pad when his doors swooshed open abruptly.

A young officer ran in without saluting, looking greatly nervous, "Sir, turn your Vidscreen on!"

Hawkins did as bidden immediately, knowing that whatever the young man wanted him to see was important. Soon he saw who greeted him with a conniving smile, "Good evening General. It's been a long time."

"Zarkon," He replied uneasily.

"I wanted to offer you my sincerest condolences. I heard of your daughter's disappearance and, well, I called to see if you needed...help."

"You bastard! What have you done to her!" Hawkins shouted.

"Nothing yet!" Zarkon snapped back, his smile dwindled away for a moment, but gradually came back. "But, I won't hesitate to."

"What do you want?"

Smiling, the King of Doom continued, "I've actually updated my security levels on Doom and I wanted to find out if you could break into them."

"You cocky son of a bitch! Give me my daughter!"

Zarkon's face turned deadly, "You want her Hawkins, come and claim her!" He cut off the transmission immediately.

Hawkins' anger set in and he threw whatever sat on his desk to the floor. The young man came closer to the General. "Sir,"

"I'm fine Jeff. I just don't understand what Zarkon would want with Erin."

"Maybe he found out about the Vehicle Voltron project."

"Could be." Hawkins replied as he continued thinking, "He didn't mention it, but maybe he's just waiting for me lose it. I don't know."

"Sir, we need Erin back." Jeff stated. "Someone who knows their way around Doom can to help us."

"Yes, I know." Pausing for a second, he turned to the younger man "Jeff, contact Commander Kogane on Arus."

"It may take a while, General. We are experiencing a meteor shower in the western quadrant. It might take a couple of hours before I can connect to Arus." Jeff stated nervously.

"Try as many times as you need Jeff, but as soon as you have a signal, make sure you have Kogane on my Vidscreen!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

When Allura opened the doors of her room and gasped at the sight of the person in front of her. Keith's appearance made her stop and stare. His long hair nicely tied back made her able to appreciate his handsome features. His navy blue coat and trouser sculpted his body perfectly. The six gold buttons sealed the front of the jacket covered the white shirt underneath. Gold stripes and stars accented the sleeves. Allura also noticed the white cap he held in his left hand with the insignia in the center. An eagle on top of a shield, spreading its wings, underneath the shield; a golden band reached from one end of the brim to the other and golden leaves decorated the black brim. She looked up and noticed that his onyx eyes shined when he saw her. She smiled in return.

Keith noticed the beautiful princess wearing a turquoise gown. The one shoulder, A-symmetrical gown brought her blue eyes to his attention. A thick sash made of crystals circled her waist and continued downward, falling all the way down her back. Her blonde locks pinned with a decorative clip, fell down the side of the shoulder that had no sleeve. Light makeup completed her look, except for the smoky blue eye shadow, which made her eyes come even more alive.

"Hi," she shyly greeted him with a smile.

"Hello Allura," he answered, somewhat equally shy. "You're beautiful." She smiled even more. After a brief pause, he asked her, "Ready to go?"

Nodding she told him, "Yes," as she stepped forward as the doors to her room closed. "Ready to bring this crazy night to a close… thanks again for escorting me."

"Anytime my Princess." Keith answered her. "One thing…before we leave. May I give you your birthday present now?"

"Yes!" Allura replied excitedly. "I didn't think you guys would get me anything. I mean…"

"How could we not. We've been wanting to for years, but this is the first year that there are places to shop!" The commander told her as he took out a square velvet box from his pocket. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to wrap it."

"That's ok," the princess replied excitedly as he handed it to her. She opened it and gasped at the contents. Inside laid a silver necklace with the most beautiful snowflake made out of small diamonds.

"Keith! I can't take this."

"Yes, you can. We barely use the stipends GG gives us. Believe me, I had fun acquiring it. Please take it. It's my way to thank you for everything that you've done for...me."

Tears almost cascaded down her eyes, but Allura held them back, "Thank you. May I wear it tonight?"

"Are you sure you want to?" Keith asked. "I don't want to ruin Nanny's look," he offered with a smile.

"Please! Help me put it on." She gently told him as she took out the necklace and handed it to him. She then took off the necklace she was wearing it and placed it on a nearby hallway table. The princess turned around and carefully lifted her hair.

He unfastened the locking device and gently placed it around her neck. She breathed in the cologne he wore as he stepped closer to her. She liked it. Then Allura turned around and faced him with a smile. "Thank you Keith," she told him. Bending toward him, she was about to kiss his cheek, but his nerves got the better of him and Keith turned slightly. Both were surprised when Allura ended up pressing her lips against his.

They looked at each other, first a bit afraid of the other's reaction then Allura sighed and smiled, "Ready to go."

"Yes," Keith answered with an equally bright smile and offered her his arm. She in turn, wrapped her fingers around his forearm and both walked toward the ballroom together.


	7. Chapter 7

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. –_William Jennings Bryan_

Chapter 7: Changes and Destiny, a Complicated Mix.

Arriving at the entrance of the ballroom, they met two guards who stood by the closed doors. Even through the thick golden doors, they heard Coran's voice welcoming the guests. Allura didn't let go of Keith's arm, if anything, he felt her grip tighten as she took a deep breath that sounded frustrated. "This is the part where he gives a rather embarrassing speech about how wonderful I was as a child and how I've grown up." She finished rolling her eyes.

Keith laughed a bit; even the guards found the statement amusing. But then he asked, "So what am I supposed to do when we enter?"

"Well, you'll escort me to the center of the ballroom, bow, and kiss my hand. I will then curtsy like the proper princess that I am while Nanny and Coran tenderly smile at me."

At this, he laughed more, enjoying her humor and sarcasm. She continued. "You'll then take your place with the rest of the Force. _Lucky you!_" Her eyes widened. "_I_, on the other hand, will walk up to the line of princes who eagerly wait for me and choose one to dance the first waltz of the night."

"Pretty fun," He answered with a sarcastic grin.

"Please..." She began to answer when she suddenly stopped to listen to Coran's words.

VVVVVVVVVV

Inside the ballroom, the dim golden glow from the crystal chandeliers lit the entire area. Gold and silver candelabras, holding scented candles, filled the room with the smell of a light perfume. The marble floors shined against the light that casted from the ceiling. Over a hundred people gathered, some, wearing long ball gowns while others wore attire that represented their planets. Coran stood by the orchestra as he continued his speech.

"...And as the Royal Advisor of the House of Arus, I'd like to personally thank you all for joining us tonight to share our Princess' eighteenth birthday and the choosing of the future King of Arus!"

Everyone clapped their hands in celebration. At one end of the ballroom, the rest of the Force clapped as well. One particular member, however, looked very serious. _Great, Coran really did it this time!_ He thought to himself as he continued clapping.

VVVVVVVVVV

Outside the ballroom doors, Allura's mouth dropped, "I...I just can't believe he said that!"

"Allura, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!" Her angered brewed, "After what I told him yesterday, he continues this game! Keith, I'm not choosing any prince at this ball."

Worried now, he turned to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, listen, you don't have to do anything he tells you to do, all right? Remember...traditions are _meant to be broken_." He finished with a wink.

At this, she smiled at him and then he saw something in her eyes, "Keith..."

"Allura..." he answered looking at her suspiciously.

"Will you help me?"

"That depends. What do I have to do?"

Suddenly, the ballroom doors opened and Allura pushed him back in place. "Keith, I hope you know how to dance!" She told him with a smile as they entered the ballroom.

VVVVVVVVVV

Erin walked around her cell for about the thirtieth time, looking for a way to escape. She didn't know how long they had kept her there or for what purpose. Alone and afraid, she waited impatiently. Her only company...the rats that ran around each time her meals appeared at the bottom of the cell. Zarkon visited every now and again, thanking her for what she would do for him. At one point, she asked about the girl taken along with her when captured. Told not to worry about her, Erin became even more frustrated. _What does he mean by that?_ She asked herself.

She sat on the cot provided to her earlier. Garrison trained her tough, her father, tougher. But no matter how much training she received, nothing prepared her for the actual thing. Erin felt a frightening loss of control. Only a couple of months shy from graduation, she couldn't believe the Drules had captured her. Even less, she couldn't understand why.

_They want something. _"But what the hell could I offer them?" She whispered out loud.

"Miss Hawkins...you have just offered Zarkon the entire galaxy!" A voice boomed as she instantly looked up to find Haggar on the other side of the bars. The witch pointed her staff and fired a charge that ran through Erin's body. Pain erupted through her screams and the blurriness she began to see slowly diminished into darkness.

VVVVVVVVVV

When they entered the ballroom, Keith noticed how all the guests smiled and stared at them. Not used to this type of attention, he instead turned to see his team equally smiling at them. Lance had a grin that made him smile.

Walking to the center of the ballroom, Keith did as instructed, he gently let go of Allura's arm, turned to her, bowed and then kissed her hand. After he rose, she smiled and curtsied. He then headed toward his group and took a place next to Lance.

"I thought Coran would escort her." His lieutenant whispered.

"Change of plans." Came his whispered reply.

Coran happily continued with his speech, "Now her Royal Highness, Princess Allura, will choose one of her guests for the first dance of the night."

Allura, in her most diplomatic smile, curtsied to the crowd and began walking to the line of eligible princes. As the music began, Allura passed the line of princes awaiting her and instead turned and walked toward the line where the Voltron Force stood. She then came in front of her escort and curtsied to him, "May I please have this dance Commander?"

Lance immediately beamed and Keith smiled, "It would be an honor, my Princess."

Keith led Allura to the center of the room where they began waltzing to the tune provided by the orchestra. As he gently swayed her around the dance floor, he took notice of the surprised looks around them. Some of the princes' deathly stares could make Medusa look rather tame. Coran looked as utterly shocked as everyone else and Nanny angrily ran out of the ballroom. It seemed that the only ones who showed any signs of happiness were his team and Sven and Romelle, who smiled genuinely at them.

"Don't worry." Allura whispered to him. "I'll tell everyone I made you do this." She offered a smile. "Besides, this proved to me one thing."

"What?"

"That all these princes are interested more in how they look amongst each other. Look at their faces? Angry because I didn't choose _them_! The nerve."

"I think they are angry because you chose someone lower in position than them."

"Don't say that Keith." She snapped. "You have so much more than they have and... you mean a lot more to me too." replying shyly.

Keith's eyes lit up at this last statement, "You mean a lot to me too, my Princess."

She smiled at him and they continued dancing, ignoring the crowd around them.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lotor fell to his knees, drained, tired and hungry. He swallowed those feelings, replacing them with anger. But soon, anger withered to helplessness.

"Sire, we must go on!"

He gasped, "I...I can't."

The old man's face turned rigid, "YOU MUST!" He shouted. "You cannot die here and let Zarkon make the fool of you!"

Lotor gazed at the old man, "What is this interest you have in me?"

"I will not die in here either. I'm using you as well. Do not think of us as friends, I care about living the rest of my days in peace and comfort. Not in this hell hole even the mice hate. Now, I don't really think you want die in here either, do you?"

"No," Lotor simply replied.

"Then, we must go on my Prince, because if you don't escape, you will not only lose to your father, you will lose to everyone you've put in here. They want your blood!"

VVVVVVVVVV

"Romelle!" Allura yelled excitedly, running up to her cousin and hugging her tightly. "You look beautiful!" She exclaimed admiring Romelle's light pink, strapless gown.

"You look hot yourself!" Romelle answered. Allura stared back confused, "Romelle, what do you mean by that?"

Sven laughed out loud. "Don't worry Allura, Romelle found a book on Earth lingo and I don't think she's quite mastered it yet."

"What..." Romelle turned to Sven, "Hot means pretty, doesn't it Sven?"

Sven sighed, "So…happy birthday, Allura."

Allura smiled, "Thank you Sven and thank you both for coming. I know it must have been an effort to come. How is the reconstruction of the castle coming along?" She asked referring to the reconstruction of Romelle and Bandor's castle. Lotor attacked Pollux months ago in retaliation for the fight he and Sven had on Doom.

"We should be done in about a month or so," Sven answered. "That's why we allowed ourselves the outing."

"How long will you two stay with us?" Allura sounded hopeful.

Romelle laughed, "Well, Bandor gave Sven and I a break for two weeks. The construction of the areas Lotor hit are done, all the castle needs is the aesthetics."

Allura's eyes lit up, "Yes! Oh I love it. We haven't seen each other in so long cousin. I'm so glad you're here."

"Allura," Sven interjected, "Where's Keith? After your dance, he left."

She shrugged, "You know Keith. He went to Control to do a last minute security run. But he promised he'd be back in a few minutes."

"He doesn't stop, does he?" Romelle shook her head.

"Like I said, you know him." Allura confirmed, "Which is why I wanted to talk to you Sven."

Sven looked at the princess concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Well, he's been working a lot and well, even Coran is worried about him."

Sven looked even more concerned, "What else?"

Allura sighed, "Dr. Gorma spoke to Coran, telling him that Keith went by his office about a week ago and told him he thought he was suffering from insomnia. Dr. Gorma prescribed him medication, but we don't think he's been taking it. I think he's afraid to take them in case we're attacked, he probably feels he won't be at his best."

"Wow," Romelle answered. "How can we help?"

"I was hoping you'd speak to him Sven, maybe…I don't know…have him take a break? I spoke to Lance and the rest of the team, they are willing to cover some of his shifts, but we don't want to tell him anything, you know how he'll fight us."

At this, Sven laughed, "Oh yeah, I know... don't worry, I'll see what I can do."

"Great!"

Suddenly, Coran's voice boomed over them, "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served. Please make your way to the dining hall and we will resume the dancing after. Thank you."

"Why don't you both head to the dining hall. I'll go retrieve our workaholic commander from Control." Sven told them as he walked away from them and headed out of the ballroom.

VVVVVVVVVV

Commannndeer!" Lance yelled as he stepped into the Control room. Keith turned around and looked at Lance, who wore a grin the size of planet Arus.

"What is wrong with you?" Keith asked, rolling his eyes and going back to the view screen. The other officers, very familiar with Lance's style, just quietly laughed.

"Come on! He didn't tell you guys?" Lance glanced at the rest of the officers in the room who shook their heads. "The Princess chose our well esteemed commander here for the first dance of the night."

At that, the entire control room burst into applause. Keith in turn shook his head. "All right, everyone, calm down." He replied feeling the embarrassment as his ears grew hot. After the room quieted down, he continued, "Everything looks good here. If there are any problems, just reach me on my comm. unit."

"Yes sir." One of the guards offered.

"Have a good time, sir." Another began to clap and the room once again went wild with shouts and whistles as Lance and Keith walked out of the room, smiling and shaking their heads.

"You guys need help!" Keith hollered before he walked out and everyone went from clapping to laughter.

Once in the hallway, Keith turned to Lance, "I take it everyone is in the dining hall."

"Yep. Thought I'd come by and let you know."

"And..."

Lance laughed, "And, I wanted to ask, how it was dancing with her Royal Highness."

"Don't get any ideas, she told me what she planned to do before she did it. She was pretty pissed off at Coran's announcement."

"Ahh...she heard it."

Keith nodded, "She sure did."

"So, how about you tell her what you feel for her tonight?"

Keith stopped dead and stared at him, "Are you crazy! There is no way in hell I am telling her that tonight _or _anytime soon."

"Come on Keith, I told you already, you need to let her know. This isn't the end of her predicament. This is just the first of many ways Coran will find to bring a suitor to this castle. How long do you expect to keep quiet?"

"Lance..."

"No, let me tell you what is going to happen. Sooner or later, we are going to get bombarded by princes from every planet in this galaxy. She's now of age, Keith! Who wouldn't wait in line for a blonde bombshell like Allura and a mega weapon like Voltron? Hello! Even Lotor wants his claws on her!"

Keith maintained his silence, but Lance continued. "Keith, how are you going to feel if she's finally forced to marry someone?"

"Lance, what if she doesn't..."

"Oh, I think she does."

Keith's eyes widened, "What makes you say that?"

Lance put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Keith, I am not wrong about this. I know she loves you. I'm positive."

"I don't know..."

"Listen, just tell her. I'm absolutely sure she feels the same way. You risk your life for her without thinking about it; jump into a fire, without looking back," Lance sighed, "Keith, you'd give your life for Garrison, for this war that isn't even ours…take a chance on something that really matters, for _you_." He solemnly finished.

Reluctantly, Keith sighed, "Fine..."

Lance grinned, "All right! Ok, go to the balcony at around ten tonight. I'll have her meet you there."

Keith suddenly felt scared; he was about to end this crazy plan of Lance's when Sven walked in on them.

"Keith!"

"Sven," he went to his friend and gave him a hug. Lance stepped in and hugged his friend after Keith.

"Listen guys, we better head to the dining hall. We can catch up later."

Lance, seeing Keith about to coward out, immediately jumped in, "Yes, let's go! We don't want to keep _anyone_ waiting!"

With that he pushed his two friends along the hallway.


	8. Chapter 8

"The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed"- _Charlotte Bronte _

Chapter 8:

Erin awoke in a new room. The various smells surrounding her almost made her gag. She felt cold and dizzy; this brought her even more discomfort. She shivered. Trying to sit up, but unable to, she found herself chained to a table. Beginning to fight the restraints with full force, a sudden voice stopped her cold.

"Ms. Hawkins, you'll waste your strength fighting the chains. You will not break free from them."

"Who are you?" Her voice shook a bit.

"I'm Haggar. Pity, I thought I'd be just as famous as Zarkon."

Erin didn't answer her. Instead, she looked around and noticed a laboratory filled with specimens and two, maybe three lab tables. Raising her gaze to the ceiling, she saw a large funnel shaped machine towering over her. Slowly, the atrocity kept lowering itself toward her; her heart began to beat faster.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Don't you remember what I told you before?" Haggar asked her as she came up to her with a large syringe.

"No! What...what is that!"

Ignoring the young girl's yelling, she continued, "I told you that you would give Zarkon the galaxy. This is the first step."

Erin screamed and fought. But the attempts proved futile as the old witch inserted the syringe in the young girl's arm.

VVVVVVVVVV

With the night almost at an end and despite her earlier feelings, Allura thought the party would culminate rather nicely. She danced with almost every guest and of course the entire team. She even stole Sven for a dance, while Hunk took out Romelle. Foreseeing no danger for the night, even Keith joined in on some of the fun. He danced mostly with Romelle and a couple of princesses from neighboring planets. Every now and again, he and the princess would dance a piece as guests took note of them. After a while, neither one cared about the nosiness of the guests.

Soon ten o'clock arrived and Keith's nerves suddenly began to rise. When Lance gestured for him to go to the balcony while dancing with Allura, the normally cool and collected Commander thought his heart would pop out of his chest. He reluctantly went.

Walking from one end of the balcony to the other, his hands felt cold and clammy, his uniform, which usually provided comfort, felt stifling hot. He laughed out loud a little. _Nerves._ He couldn't believe that fighting Zarkon and Lotor seemed easier than standing on the balcony to face the Princess at this point.

He had rehearsed this speech for almost year; since he realized he loved her. For almost a full year, he hid his feelings from her, his friends, and everyone who lived around them. _This has been too damn tiring_, Keith suddenly thought. He suddenly realized he couldn't wait any longer. _Talk about timing!_ _Lance is right._ He had to tell her; he had to tell her tonight. Coran made the announcement; she was of age to choose a suitor.

This would mean that every prince in the Galaxy would knock the castle's doors and ask for her hand. He couldn't let that happen or at least he couldn't allow that to happen without him knowing that he'd have a chance with her.

Keith shook his head in frustration. _Will this confession change things? Will she think and feel differently toward me after I tell her?_ He didn't know, but he'd risk it. It would be better than to live with the torment he currently experienced; or worse, if he had to endure some prince's attempts at courting her while he kept his mouth shut. No, telling her suddenly sounded better; knowing what she felt would eventually put him at peace, one way or another. His chance finally came. When he looked up, she walked out onto the balcony toward him.

"Hey you," Allura chimed in with one of her beautiful smiles.

"Hey you," he answered back softly. "I'm sorry I took you out of your party."

The princess smiled at him, "Oh, it's ok. After Coran's speech, I couldn't turn any redder. Thanks for helping me out, by the way." She walked over to the balcony and faced the cold dark Arus night, "I think the chill from tonight will help get my color back." She joked. "So what's on your mind? What did you want to talk to me about? Lance told me you wanted to see me."

The commander took a deep breath, _now or never_. "Allura, we've known each other now for-"

"Two years tomorrow!" She opened her big blues in excitement. "Can you believe it?"

He laughed, "Yeah. Pretty amazing." Keith paused for a second before continuing. "Well, to me, despite Zarkon's endless attacks, Lotor's numerous attempts to kidnap you and Coran and Nanny's endeavors to stop you from flying Blue…I think we've had a lot of fun in these last two years, don't you think?"

At this, Allura giggled in delight, "You're right; despite all that, we've definitely have had our share of fun."

"And I think we've been the best of friends, right?"

"Of course Keith, you're my best friend. I couldn't imagine my life without you." She answered him, taking his hand gently.

He fidgeted; she noticed. "What's going on?" She smiled curiously.

The commander let go of her hand and turned around, walking a couple of steps toward the balcony, to face the landscape. "What if I were to ask you if you felt something more for me than friendship?"

When she heard this question, Allura stiffened and her smiled suddenly dropped. "What do you mean?"

Keith turned to face her and took a couple of steps toward her, "Allura, I…you're my best friend. I mean, Lance is my best friend too, but you're a different kind of best friend..."

She looked at him confused. Allura had never seen Keith look so nervous in the entire time she'd known him.

He sighed heavily as he ran his hand through his hair, "I've been preparing this speech and what I've wanted to tell you for almost a year and now nothing's making sense."

"Keith…" she started.

"Listen Allura, I'm just going to come out and say it. Since the day I met you, I've felt something in my heart that I couldn't explain for a while; but soon I figured out I felt happiness." He took her hand within both of his, "Allura, I know so much about you. I know when you're mad, your nose wrinkles ever so slightly. When you smile, your eyes brighten; sometimes they even turning a shade lighter depending on what you are happy about. You hum whenever you're concentrating on something. You play with your hair whenever you're nervous. You only cry when you think people aren't looking. What I am trying to tell you is that…I feel happy and alive when I'm with you. I feel….so happy my Princess. Allura, I love you. I think I've always loved you. I know I have nothing to offer you, but what I'm asking is…"

"Stop," her voice suddenly shook with emotion.

He looked at her surprised. With her feelings exposed on her face, he immediately knew what would come next and let go of her hand.

"Keith…I love you too, I do. But…we've been friends for such a long time. You're my best friend...I couldn't…"

"Jeopardize our friendship?" He quietly finished for her.

Allura nodded in response. She felt the tears starting to well up and just as they started to fall, Keith placed his hand gently on her cheek and wiped them away with his thumb.

The princess took his hand and held it gently, "Keith, I'm sorry…your friendship is the most precious thing in the world to me. I'm afraid of what would happen to it if we both realized that anything further from it would damage it. I can't let that happen."

Keith stared at her quietly for a moment. She could see the sadness in his eyes when he finally asked her, "So you would rather remain friends?"

"Ye…yeah…I guess so." Allura replied.

With unshed tears burning his eyes, he nodded. His heart broke with her decision, but Keith wouldn't let her see him hurt. He wanted to walk away from her, wishing desperately to have things back to how they used to be before he committed this atrocious mistake.

"It's okay, Allura. It's okay." he told her with a sad smile. "It's…ok." the commander nodded again as if to convince himself.

She hugged him, tightly and when she did, the princess thought, _'God, did I act too rashly? What if I made a mistake? No! This is for the best.'_

He broke the contact, almost too rashly for her taste, but she understood why.

Suddenly the doors of the balcony opened and a young man entered.

"I apologize for the interruption, Princess."

"No, not at all...your Highness." She answered, as she composed herself. Allura didn't turn, she knew another potential suitor had interrupted them. They would always address her, never the person whom she was with. And, they only interrupted when they believed she was in the presence of someone beneath them.

"It's just that, the evening will soon end and I wanted to ask you for a dance? This particular piece is rather enchanting and it would be an honor to dance to it with you. Unless, you are occupied?" The tall blond man asks her with a smile.

Allura looked at Keith for a moment as he lowered his eyes for a second to compose himself and then looked up at the prince, "Princess Allura and I have finished our conversation, Prince Edward." He glanced back at her, "Please excuse me for the rest of the night Princess. I'll see you tomorrow at practice." He concluded, before bowing and leaving her alone on the balcony.

He passed both of them without looking back. Taking a deep breath, Allura turned around and plastered the fakest smile she could ever conjure up onto her face. "It would be an honor to have this dance Prince Edward."

VVVVVVVVVV

Noticing his entrance back into the ballroom, Lance immediately intercepted Keith, "Buddy, where are you going so fast? Night's still young you know."

"Lance, I'm going to the Control Room to start my shift."

"Keith, your shift doesn't start for another two hours." The lieutenant answered, bewildered by the sudden change in attitude from his friend.

Suddenly, he recognized the look in Keith's eyes. Something had gone wrong. He looked beyond his friend to the doors of the balcony where Allura began coming in, escorted by a prince. Lance realized what happened. Keith picked up on his friend's sudden comprehension, but wouldn't hear a word about it.

"Listen, there's enough security for tonight. You don't need me and I still have a lot work that I want to complete before tomorrow. It's the perfect opportunity for me to do so."

"Ok, alright Keith. I'll see you then tomorrow morning at practice?"

"Sure," the commander answered weakly. "Good night." He walked out of the ballroom.

As soon as Keith headed toward the ballroom doors, Sven walked up to Lance, "What's with him?"

"I'll tell you later."


	9. Chapter 9

**This is for Charigul. I couldn't let you down tonight girlie! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Once again, a great big kiss and hug to my editors!**

_If love is so important to have that one doesn't want to lose it, why is it when we find true love we often don't notice it?—_Anonymous

Chapter 9-Explanations

Inside the Control Room, Keith looked over a report he had to turn into Admiral Graham. Never having a hard time concentrating on anything that dealt with the Garrison, he sighed heavily as he thought back to his last encounter with the princess, instead of the words in front of him.

"Damn it! This is all Lance's fault!" He shook his head with frustration. "No…it's my own. I should've known better. She's the Princess of Arus for God's sake, Keith!" He told himself. "What the hell were you thinking?" He raised his voice as he slammed the data pad he held in his hand onto the console.

Earlier, when he had walked in, he dismissed the crew and told them to join in on the last few hours of the festivities. Their excitement, brought on by their commander's act of consideration toward them, overshadowed any questions they could have had as to why the commander would take the shift alone.

_What an idiot I am!_ He inwardly thought_. Why the hell did I fall for a princess? As if my life wasn't complicated enough._

About to continue the mental torture, he saw the vidscreen suddenly light up; informing him of an incoming transmission. Keith pressed the button. His eyes furrowed, surprised by the person looking back at him on screen. "General Hawkins? Good evening sir. Is everything all right?"

"Keith..." Hawkins began, his tone showed marks of agitation. "It's Erin..."

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith listened to General Hawkins as he related the latest news to him.

"Zarkon?" Keith asked wondrously. "I don't understand why Zarkon would take Erin. I just don't see a connection." He shook his head, concentrating on trying to pinpoint any link between Erin and the King of Doom.

"At first I thought the bastard discovered a secret project the Garrison is working on. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that, maybe, the connection was you." Hawkins answered in a most spiteful tone.

Keith inwardly shuddered. He knew a small part of the general blamed him for the kidnapping. He also knew it wasn't on purpose. His daughter, his baby, had fallen in the hands of raging lunatics.

"Our relationship ended two years ago, General. I don't understand why he would do something like this. It doesn't make sense."

"Keith, I don't know what's going on either. It could be another of Zarkon's plans to destroy Voltron; but all I know, for now, is that you have to help her. You have to help me, she's my only daughter."

The commander's heart sank. Keith saw a look in the general's eyes and prayed that he'd never go through something like that when it came to his children. "You have my word, General. I'll bring Erin home."

Hawkins nodded, "Thank you." he replied in a barely audible voice.

"I'll contact you tomorrow with a plan of action, sir."

"I look forward to it." The general answered, "I'm in transit to Arus. I should be there tomorrow morning. See you then." He finished as he cut transmission.

Keith slammed his head on the back of the seat. _This night kept getting longer and longer by the second._

VVVVVVVVVV

Lance and Sven walked through the hallways of the castle; their destination, Keith's office. Hoping to have a clearer picture of the events that happened earlier, Lance suddenly fell quiet when he finished telling Sven his plan of putting the commander and the Princess of Arus together. He concentrated on how he would begin the conversation with his best friend, his pal, and the man who, no doubt, would murder him tonight.

"Look, maybe we should leave him alone. You know how he hates when we meddle in his business." Sven tried to reason with Lance. "He must have been pissed when all of the Control personnel appeared at the party and he stayed at Control alone. Not to mention he asked Pidge to cover his shift for tonight! Honestly, I don't want to stand in that man's path right now."

Both Lance and Sven remained at the party for about an hour after Keith's exit. During that time, Lance saw the six guards, who were posted earlier at Control, walk in and take posts around the ballroom, clearly happy to be able to at least enjoy the festivities while working. Then, about fifteen minutes before exiting, Pidge had come up to Lance and Sven to tell them that Keith had asked him to take over his shift for the night. He explained to them that the commander needed to work on an emergency project in his office.

Lance, unable to hold his nerves, laughed, "_You'll_ be fine." He began, "I'm the one who practically convinced him to tell her. If there's anyone he's pissed at, it's definitely me!"

"Perfect! If he's pissed, he'll go for your blood immediately!" Sven laughed.

"You're an ass!"

"Maybe, but I'll still be alive when I walk out of his office."

Lance shook his head. Inwardly, he knew Sven was right. If Keith's anger grew worse with the passing of time, he didn't stand a chance against his friend's wrath.

He rang the door and it swooshed open seconds later. They found Keith at his desk typing on his data pad.

"Listen..." Keith began, but quickly Lance cut him off.

"Now Keith, don't take it so personally. I'm pretty sure the princess was overwhelmed by everything that happened tonight. You know…the party…Coran's speech. Maybe we just chose the wrong time man."

Sven rolled his eyes as Lance continued his defense plea.

"But this can be remedied." Lance continued throwing a wickedly charming smile, "Just give me some time and I promise I can come up with the perfect plan to get Allura in your arms."

"Lance!" Keith ordered with a sigh, "Sit your ass down."

Lance swallowed hard, "You're going to beat the shit out of me aren't you?"

Sven could have broken up with laughter, but looking at Keith's features, he saw something more.

"Keith, what's wrong?" He suddenly asked.

"It's Erin Hawkins," The commander answered, motioning to Sven to sit down as well. "Zarkon's taken her."

"Oh no," Lance eyes widened, "When?"

"Two nights ago. Zarkon contacted the general as well."

"How's the general?" Sven asked.

"How do you think? He's flying in to Arus tomorrow morning. We're meeting to discuss a rescue plan."

"We're going to Doom?"

Keith looked up at Lance in surprise, "Did you think we wouldn't?"

VVVVVVVVVV

The next morning, Keith walked to the landing bay, accompanied by Sven and Lance, to welcome the general. When the ship landed, it didn't take long for Hawkins to walk out. The older man had dark sandy blonde hair but his usually handsome older-looking features looked haggard. Keith could tell that the longer Erin was gone, the worse Hawkins would get.

"General." Keith offered his hand to him, which Hawkins shook.

"Keith. Thanks for helping me out on this."

"Anytime sir," Keith answered seriously.

The general turned to the other two men behind Keith, "Lance, Sven. Glad to see you both. Unfortunately, I wish it were under better circumstances."

"We know sir." Sven answered, shaking the older man's hand. Lance simply nodded in agreement.

"So what's the plan?" Hawkins asked as he looked at Keith.

"Let's go to the conference room, the rest of the team is waiting there for us."

VVVVVVVVVV

In the conference room, Coran, Hunk and Pidge sat around the metallic table. Allura and Romelle sat between each man, waiting for the rest of the participants to walk in. After waiting a few minutes, the doors suddenly opened to reveal General Hawkins along with the other three men.

"General Hawkins, this is Her Royal Highness, Princess Allura of Arus," Keith began as pointed to Allura, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Romelle of Pollux, and the House of Arus' Royal Advisor Coran." The ladies bowed their heads in respect as Coran stood and bowed.

"It's very nice to meet you all. Princess Allura, thank you for helping me." Hawkins bowed as well.

"We're glad to help General. We are very sorry for what you've been through and please be assured that we will do everything we can to bring your daughter home."

"Thank you." Hawkins answered uneasily.

Nodding in agreement, Keith directed the general to a seat, "You remember Pidge and Hunk, sir."

"Of course. It's good to see you well gentlemen."

"Thank you sir." Both Hunk and Pidge replied.

Taking his seat, the commander directed his gaze around the room, "Well, let's begin." Keith turned on the vidscreen, showing a blue print of Castle Doom. "This is a blue print of Zarkon's castle. Sven and Romelle put this map together for us after they came back from Doom." He then clicked a button showing two particular areas in the map.

"There are two areas I'd like us to consider first." Keith clicked on one area. "This is the dungeon. Shaped like a W, it is divided into three subsections." Keying in some codes, he enlarged the section he clicked on earlier.

"Section one, can be penetrated if we go into the northern end of the dungeon through the air vents. This section, per Sven, houses all Drules who have committed acts of treason against the planet. Section two, this middle subsection," Keith then enlarged again the second section as he spoke, "keeps possible Doom slaves from other planets. The third section is set aside for 'special guests'."

"That's where Erin might be at?" The general asked.

"Not necessarily," Keith answered, "I think we should hit all three sections. Lotor may not have immediately put her there. He might be smart enough to place her somewhere else to buy them time for whatever their plan is."

"So what are you suggesting, Keith?" Allura asked.

"We go in through the vents that I mentioned earlier. I think we can enter the vents through the lower levels of the castle. Sven, Lance and I will each take a section and look for her. But, it may take us sometime. Each section has about fifty cells. It's dark and most likely full of guards, not to mention we don't want the inmates to signal us out."

"Sven, you're going?" Romelle asked surprised as she turned to her fiancée, "Why?"

Sighing, Sven tried to appease her, "I have to Romelle. I'm the only one here who knows the area."

"So do I!" She countered.

"You are not going," Sven's eyes challenged her. "Romelle, we won't be captured."

She nervously nodded, "I know, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, my love." He gave her a small smile.

Turning back to the group, Keith looked over to Allura, who also met his eyes, but he quickly turned back to the vidscreen, "This is the first location I'd like to hit. I have a feeling this is where she is."

"What's the second area?" Coran now asked.

"The second area is the concubine chambers. That's where Lotor keeps all his...women."

The general's face paled, "You think..."

"I don't think so General." Keith tried to appease him, "As a matter of fact, I'm convinced that Lotor has nothing to do with this."

"Why would you say that?" Hunk looked interested.

Trying to answer Hunk's question, Keith turned to his friend, "The general told me that Zarkon contacted him. If it would have been Lotor, believe me, he would have let General Hawkins and every one of us know that he has Erin, especially me." He finished, turning to the older military man. "That's his style. Zarkon has more...tact."

Shaking his head, Hawkins breathed hard, "This is insane. What the hell does he want?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll find out soon." Keith offered. "The rest of you will be on stand-by here on Arus, in case this is an attempt to leave the planet unguarded." He then looked at Allura, "Princess, you're in command until we are back. Sven, Lance and I leave at dawn."

"How about me?" the general asked, "I can provide you with my ship, fighters—"

Keith interrupted, "Thank you General. I'm sure Arus will need them if in fact this is an attempt on this planet. But I will need one of your fighters. I don't want to use the lions. They'll find us out for sure."

"You want me to stay here?"

"Yes, sir." The commander nodded, "You are too close to the situation, I need..."

"A clear mind. Yes, Keith, I understand. You can use one of my rescue ships."

"Good," Keith sighed, "Pidge, rig the general's ship with everything we might need.

"Will do Commander." The youngest member of the team replied.

"Good. Let's do this."

VVVVVVVVVV

Looking out the windows in the rec room, Keith jumped when he felt tap on his shoulder.

"You're tired." A gentle voice whispered in his ear.

"No, I'm fine."

"Liar," she answered him softly, "You know very well that you would have felt me the minute I walked in the room. Go to sleep, it's a quarter past one, you'll be up in a couple of hours."

Sighing, Keith halfway smiled, "I had to go over the additions Pidge put in on our ship. Besides, I'm not very sleepy."

This worried her. _Another sleepless night_, she thought. Allura didn't bother telling him to take something for his stress. She knew he wouldn't take anything at this point. "Are you done with that?" She asked him.

"Yes." He answered, turning around to face her.

"Then go to bed. Even if you can't sleep, you still need rest. Why are you still up anyway?"

Keith shrugged, "I'm just running over every last minute detail in my head before I go to sleep." He chuckled. "You know me."

She smiled at him, "Everything is done Keith. You can't do anything else other than take care of yourself and make sure you return to us safely."

"All right then, I guess I'll go to bed. Have a good night Princess."

He was almost out the door when Allura called out to him, "Keith,"

The commander turned to face her, "Yes?"

"About last night…"

He interrupted her, "Princess, please don't worry about it. I was… out of line last night. I'm sorry."

"No you weren't." Allura immediately began, "Let me explain. It's just that...we're in the middle of a war. I can't begin to think about a relationship with anyone. It's not you, I think..." Her voice dropped as he looked at her incredulously. Then, silence. She could only hear her heart thump.

"Princess...like I said before, I was out of line. It won't happen again." Keith met her stare with cold eyes, "Have a good night." He turned and walked away.

The silence after his exit was deafening. The princess let out an exasperating sigh and slowly walked out the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you Mertz!

_All war is deception._ -Sun Tzu

Chapter 10-Illusions

Zarkon smiled as he saw the young girl lying unconscious on Haggar's laboratory table. _One step closer to achieving my goals!_ He thought as a jolly grunt rose up from his throat. With the girl's process completed, he found that failure seemed farther and farther away from him.

Moments later, a new figure appeared entering the lab. A tall blonde, her tight fitting black uniform conformed to her curvaceous figure as she swayed her hips from side to side. Her long blonde hair bounced around her back, her cat like eyes shone with pride and her smile lit the dark laboratory.

"Congratulations on executing the first part of our plan well, Starr." Zarkon praised without turning around on her.

"Thank you sire," she bowed, "I do hope that our agreement still stands."

The king laughed. Turning to meet the beautiful woman, he replied, "Of course my dear, you will have everything that is coming to you. I'm sure you'll enjoy our planet's wonderful accommodations once crowned princess."

Starr's eyes glittered at the mention of her reward. "I can't wait."

"I'm sure…anything is better than the castle concubine's chambers, isn't it?" Zarkon nodded as he raised his brow.

She snorted, "We do what we have to, to survive."

"Starr, are you trying to simply survive or move up through the ranks of a society you adopted since we destroyed yours?"

Walking past Zarkon, to the table where the unconscious woman laid, Starr began playing with Erin's hair, "All I know is that you owe me King Zarkon. I've served my time as a cheap piece of ass to your son for years and now, I think its time to collect my dues."

"I think you did well."

"Better than well!" She turned around and met the king's eyes. "Not only will I be royalty, but my husband, from what I've heard, is incredibly handsome and smart."

This time Zarkon snorted, "You have more than you realize Starr. You are marrying the savior of Doom."

VVVVVVVVVV

Their ship slowly entered Doom's atmosphere with such grace that it caused Sven to smile, "I love this ship. You think Hawkins will give us some for Pollux?"

"Fat chance," Lance answered with a hearty laugh, "You know Garrison; they take, they don't give. We're lucky Hawkins let us have this one!"

"You have no faith McClain." The raven-haired pilot answered as he shook his head. "No faith brother."

"I'm a realist. You, on the other hand, are just like our navigator back there, full of daydreams and fairytales."

"What?" Sven laughed, "Fairytales? Keith, what the hell is he talking about? Keith?"

"What?" Keith turned, obviously not listening to the conversation. "What did you say?"

"See, he's been daydreaming." Lance shook his head with mirth as he slapped Sven across the chest, "Probably about a certain blonde goddess."

"Oh," Sven now laughed.

Keith let out a frustrated sigh, "You're an idiot Lance. Am I the only one here working on this mission?"

The lieutenant snorted as he turned to him, "Yeah, sure…the mission. I caught that little look between you and Allura at that meeting with Hawkins yesterday."

"What look?" the commander asked as he turned back to his controls. "Lance, are you sure you're not the one daydreaming?"

Shaking his head, Lance answered him, "Don't turn this around on me my friend. By the way, we never did finish our conversation the night of the party." He reminded him, "My guess is that our beautiful Allura freaked out just a little bit. I've been thinking of a way to get you two together. I have this plan…"

"Don't do me any favors." Keith interrupted.

"Come on, you ass. I'm an expert. I hit a rough patch that night, but I'm positive the princess loves…"

Frustrated, Keith grabbed his friend's shoulder, forcing him to fully turn around to face him, "Damn it, just stop!"

Lance's playful demeanor changed, "Keith, what's wrong?"

Sighing, the commander answered, "Let's just forget it. We have a mission, let's get it done."

"Bullshit! What happened?"

Sven kept his vision toward the screen. While entering Doom's atmosphere, a sudden darkness reached his eyes as the planet's stratosphere bled a blackness that made most cringe; he had to concentrate. "Keith..."

Looking at the now black screen, Keith quickly swung back to his station, "Turn 18.4 longitude and 54.3 latitude east."

Lance didn't budge, "What happened?"

Still looking at this controls, the commander answered, "Allura let me know clearly that night that she's not interested in any relationship and she reconfirmed it last night." Keith finished telling him flatly.

"Keith, I don't think she's..."

"Ok guys, enough yapping for the moment." Sven interrupted, "We can resume this conversation when we get back. Right now, I'm about to land." He interjected as they all began to see the hard, black rock surface that was Doom.

VVVVVVVVVV

The witch smiled as she watched the ship descend onto the thick, hard rock a couple of miles away. Her trusty crystal ball displayed the scene clearly as if she were present. Haggar didn't think it would take the commander long to come and claim his prize.

She heard someone walking up to her from behind, "Haggar, are we ready to initiate the plan?"

"Yes, Sire. Everyone is in place. I will put the Hawkins girl in the commander's path as soon as I see where he is headed."

"Good. Make sure you don't fail."

xxxxxx

It took about an hour, but the three men had managed to travel through the air vents without interference. When they reached the entrance of the dungeons, Lance popped out the lid from the vent and jumped out, followed by Sven and Keith. Entering the dungeon's doors, Sven and Lance ran up to a set of robot soldiers, who didn't have a chance to pull their weapons before both men high kicked and blasted at them, causing them to go down. Keith, at the same instance, ran over to the console to do a virtual search of the cells.

"She's not registered in any of them." He shook his head frustrated.

"We're going to have to go through each one of them?" Lance immediately replied. "Shit!"

"Keith, we won't have enough time." Sven stated, surveying the surroundings. "It's better if we split up. The dungeon divides in three sections," he began as he walked up to the vidscreen and typed a few codes to bring up the blue print. "See, just like the blueprint I showed you. If we each take a section, we might be able to find her faster."

"Alright," Keith nodded uneasily. "I'll take the first section, Lance, the middle and Sven, you take the third."

"Fine, but we can't stay here that long. I'm surprised we haven't had more guests." Lance looked around, "Something seems strange."

"No time to analyze, but my sentiments exactly. This is too strange." Sven snapped, "We have to start now." He turned to Keith.

Nodding in agreement, Keith ran to his assigned area," Keep your comms on, I want us to be able to hear each other in case we run into trouble. Let's go!"

xxxxxx

The witch laughed wickedly as she looked through her crystal ball, watching the three men each take a section of the dungeon. When she saw the section the commander took, she cackled wildly and turned to Erin who sat with her eyes closed on one of her laboratory chairs, "Ms. Hawkins, it's time to use your services dear."

The old witch took her staff and pointed at the young girl. "og dna evres!" She exclaimed as the staff lit up and slowly zapped the young girl out of her chamber.

xxxxxx

Keith quickly looked in each of his assigned cells. Some of the slaves chained to the walls looked out toward him, shouting obscenities, thinking he was part of Zarkon's soldiers, while others yelled and screamed for help.

He wanted to help all of them, but he knew that would be impossible. _Someday_, he thought with regret. Giving up hope by the time he reached the last of the cells, his eyes suddenly lit in surprise. Inside the second to last cell, he saw a young girl inside who resembled Erin. "Guys, I think I found her." He communicated to the others.

"We'll be right there!" He heard Sven's voice call out from the comm.

xxxxxx

Stopping their search midway through their assigned areas, both Sven and Lance turned back and met at the entrance of dungeons intending on meeting Keith in the area that held Erin. Unfortunately, once outside, they were greeted by a dozen guards who met them with blasters on hand.

"Get down!" Sven shouted as he pushed Lance out of the line of fire.

"Shit!" Lance yelled as a couple of blasts began flying through the area.

xxxxxx

Keith quickly took out his blaster and fired at the locking device the held the door closed. _Shit! They've found us!_, he thought as he heard blasts coming from afar, even in between the shouts of the other prisoners. As the door swung open, he ran in to her. "Erin! Erin!" He sharply shouted as he kneeled and shook the girl.

Her head fell limply to the side, her eyes closed, _'Drugged. I'll be damned!' _Keith thought to himself. "Erin, come on honey, wake up." he slapped her cheek lightly. The feeling of being touched slowly made her reach consciousness. Slowly, Erin opened her eyes. Keith continued to look at her and noticed that as her eyes opened, a bright yellow light emitted from them. Light blasted through her eyes and suddenly Erin began speaking a mysterious language.

"Erin?" Keith looked into her eyes and felt himself drawn into them. Slowly, he felt himself sucked into those glowing eyes as he looked at them. He blinked twice; then, his eyes began turning the same yellow hue and they glowed with the same intensity.

As he felt his body weaken, he heard a familiar voice, "Keith! We've run into trouble, we're on the way." he heard Lance's voice from his comm. unit, but it felt so far away.

"Lance...help!" he tried yelling, but his voice only came out as a mere whisper.

As he continued looking into the young girl's eyes and listening to her chants, Erin's eyes slowly began turning their normal hue as Keith's began glowing brightly.

Soon the transfer completed and the young woman stopped speaking the weird language as her eyes dimmed and turned back to their normal color. She then saw her former lover in front of her, but felt so weak, her voice shook and she couldn't keep herself up. "Keith..." she whispered before she dropped and passed out.

Keith, on the other hand, still kneeling and lost in that trance, softly whispered the same words Erin had previously stated. With his eyes wide opened and brightly glowing, he was unaware of three figures that suddenly walked into the dungeon.

xxxxxx

Sven and Lance threw the last of their grenades at the robot soldiers making their way into the dungeon.

We can't stay any longer. They are on to us!"

"Keith didn't confirm transmission." Lance countered, "So he either found her or he's run into trouble of his own. We better get going!"

Just then, another set of soldiers entered the dungeon. With blasters in hand, they began to shoot.

Lance and Sven looked at each other, "Shit!" both yelled as they ducked, evading the blasts.

xxxxxx

Walking in, the tall, blonde haired woman looked at the young girl lying sideways on the floor and the commander that kneeled in front of her, lost in trance. Starr smiled, happy that his back faced her. She feared that the transfer would reach her, if in fact; she looked directly into his eyes.

The two robot soldiers held their place behind her. From her pocket, she retrieved the injector and walked toward Keith. Starr kneeled behind him and pulled his hair upward, revealing his neck. She then placed the injector on the upper part of his neck, and fired.

She felt Keith jerk up and voice a light gasp before falling back in her arms; his light chanting stopping abruptly as soon as she had fired at the base of his neck. She looked away for a moment as his eyes turned back to their shade. Once his eyes closed, Starr smiled as she took in his beautiful features.

"Erin, I can understand why you are still in love with him." She stated, not even bothering to look at the girl. Her voice must have been heard, since Keith opened his eyes and looked at her, his eyes forcing themselves to stay opened.

"Hello," Starr whispered to him.

He looked at her, but with his fight ending, the only words that escaped him before he finally closed his eyes again were, "Allura..."

She tilted her head at the name she heard him say, "My Erin, it seems that your love has found another. Pity neither one of you will have him." Starr smiled again, caressing his cheek before she gently placed him on the floor and the injector back in her pocket. "Soon..." she whispered into his ear before standing up.

"Your Highness, we must leave, the others...they're making their way into the section." The robot soldier stated.

"Yes, we must make our move!" the second shouted.

"You are right." the blonde with the cat like eyes smiled as she pulled Keith's gun from his holster and blasted both robot soldiers. As they fell to the ground, she put the gun in her future lover's hand and took one of the robot soldier's guns, set it to its lowest setting and walked over to Keith and fired at his abdomen. The commander's body jerked up, but he didn't regain consciousness.

"Sorry love. But I'll make it up to you later!" Starr told him before dropping the gun close to the robot and exiting the dungeon.

xxxxxx

Sven and Lance ran toward Keith's section of the dungeon.

"Keith!" Lance yelled.

Finding that they were greeted only by the noise of the prisoners in their cells, Sven swore, "No answer! Let's move quickly, he might be hurt."

They ran faster until they saw a slightly opened cell toward the end of the hall, "There!" Sven yelled. When they arrived, both gasped as they saw Keith and Erin on the floor and robot soldiers fallen by the entrance. Lance immediately ran toward Keith as Sven went to Erin.

"Keith! Wake up!" Lance hollered. "He's been shot by the looks of it; his flight suit is burned."

"Shot or stunned?" Sven asked as he lifted Erin in his arms.

"Stunned, it looks. C'mon, Keith, wake up!" Lance slapped his commander's face.

At that, Keith's eyes fluttered opened. "What...what happened?"

"We'll tell you later. Can you walk?" Lance asked.

Keith began to sit up but a sharp pain in his abdomen promptly stopped him, "What the hell!"

"They stunned you, but you got them. I'll support you. We have to leave now."

Nodding Keith answered, "Do we have Erin?"

"I have her." Sven offered. "Now, move your asses!"

xxxxxx

As they head out of the dungeon, Keith fought to stay awake, despite having Lance next to him offering him support. But one thing became clear to him; even through the fuzziness around him…they weren't met with resistance. _Surely, they are aware we are here._ He thought to himself as he fought to stay awake.

"Come on man; don't give up on me just yet." Lance barked at him.

"Something is wrong here." Keith mumbled.

"Count your blessings for now and keep moving." Sven ordered. "Let's get out first and analyze later."

"How are we going to get out? We can't go back to the vents." Lance argued.

Turning to Lance, Sven replied, "I know another way. It will be longer, but it will get us out."

xxxxxx

Zarkon laughed as he watched the three men move into the lower levels of the dungeons. It did surprise him that they knew that particular way out of the castle. "Must have been that explorer that we captured from Ebb." He told himself. "He knows the too much about the castle to keep him alive for long."

As the three managed to leave the castle, Zarkon watched studiously, "He knew that lower levels wouldn't allow them into the dungeons, but would allow them out. Smart son of a bitch. Too smart."

He would have to dispose of this space explorer as soon as he could, the man knew too many secrets and that wouldn't be good for any of them.

xxxxxx

They reached their fighter with no resistance whatsoever and by that time, even Lance and Sven were worried. Once in, Sven sat Erin in one of the seats while Lance helped Keith into another.

"You are going to need a navigator." Keith told them barely awake as he stated the words.

"Oh, yeah, you'll be great at it," Lance answered sarcastically as he sat down on one of the pilot's chair.

"Don't worry Keith." Sven tells him after he sits next to Lance, "Lance and I will do fine together." He paused, "Keith..."

Lance quickly went to his seat, "He's out."

"Come on! I don't want our luck to run out." Sven replied as he started the engines.

Looking over at his controls, Lance continued speaking, "This is strange Sven. No one is after us. I know we're good, but not that good!"

"Let's get out of here, we'll figure it out once we get far enough from this hell hole."

xxxxxx

As Zarkon continued watching the starship take off from Doom space, Starr stood alongside of him, watching the scene as well.

"Are you sure you injected the device the correct way?"

"I know what I'm doing." She answered. "I do however think that you should give them a proper goodbye. You wouldn't want them to think this was all too easy, would you?"

Shaking his head, the king turned to her, "You are getting too damn good. Send the fighters after them." He ordered."

"As you wish," she smiled as she took out her comm. and sent out her order.

xxxxxx

They were out of Doom's stratosphere when the first couple of fighters began emerging behind them.

"We have company!" Sven yelled as he accelerated the fighter to a higher speed. "Get ready Lance, I'm taking this thing higher!"

"No kidding!" Lance answered, pressing some codes, "Launching torpedoes." He stated as he presses the final buttons and two large torpedoes fire from behind the cruiser.

Lance looked at the screen and noticed that one of the deployed torpedoes hit one of the targets, "We got one!"

"Great, now twenty more to go." Sven replied sarcastically. "Launch the second set of missiles."

Lance did as ordered, firing four and all of them hitting their target. Surprising to him, not one of the enemy ships hit them anywhere near dangerous levels.

"Sven, this is way too easy. Not one freaking ship has shot us!"

"I know!" Sven yelled as he reached the outer skirts of the planet. Within seconds, they were out of Doom and heading toward Arus.

"What the hell was that?" Lance asked in disbelief.

"I know..." Sven, about to continue the conversation is cut off by a voice,

"Did we make it?" Keith asked halfway awake.

"Yeah, we did buddy," Lance turned, "How are you holding up?"

"I could be better." he softly told him as he sighed. "Did we run into trouble?" he asked as he tried to sit up. Lance then heard him grimace in pain before he said, "Damn it, I have this pain."

"Getting shot does that to you." Sven halfway smiled.

"No, in my neck," Keith corrected. "I feel this pain in the back of my neck."

"You could have hit your head when they shot you." Sven concluded.

Keith takes a deep breath, "I guess...it's just that...I don't remember being shot at."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked perplexed. "How could you not remember?"

"Maybe you got hit in the head harder than you thought." Sven laughed. "Just lay back Keith." He ordered. "We'll be back home soon and then Gorma can take a look at you."

Keith nodded then turned to look at a still unconscious Erin, "How is she?"

"Out cold, but seems ok." Lance answered, "Sensors indicate heartbeat and blood pressure at normal levels."

Nodding again, Keith laid back as he felt the start of a headache coming on.


	11. Chapter 11

Welcome to Chapter 11. Enjoy! Mertz, thank you! You're an awesome editor. I've learned a lot.

_He that is not jealous is not in love_.-Augustine, St.

Chapter 11: Succumbing to the Green Eyed Monster

The next time Keith awoke he found himself in a room at MedTech with Sven and Allura sitting on chairs across from him.

"Hello sunshine." Sven smiled standing up to greet him, "Nice to see you awake."

Allura, who stood behind Sven, smiled nervously at him, "I'm glad you're ok."

He nodded uneasily his thanks. She could tell that the feelings of hurt by their last encounter still lingered inside him. "How long am I stuck here for?" Keith simply asked.

Sven picked up his friend's sudden willingness to leave and dismissal of Allura's words, "Well…" he studied his friend a little closer, "Gorma told me you are free to go after you woke up. Just take it easy for a day or two."

"Erin...how is Erin?" Keith asked as he began lifting himself off the bed.

"She's fine. Awake and talking to Lance and the general. Woke up about an hour after we arrived on Arus."

"I want to go and see her." Keith ordered.

From the corner of his eye, Sven saw how Allura's body went rigid. Dismissing it for the moment, he turned to Keith whose tone seemed a bit harsh. His friend rarely displayed such tendencies. "Come on, I'll help you get there. I brought you some clothes from your room. You can change in the bathroom." he told him as both he and Allura helped him up.

VVVVVVVVVV

Sven knocked before they saw Lance open the door for them, "Well, look who is up! I've never known a stun shot would put someone out for four hours."

Keith looked shocked and turned to Sven and Allura, "Four hours!"

Allura shrugged, "Gorma was worried for a bit, but he thinks it was a combination of fatigue and getting shot that put you down."

About to reply, he was cut off by Lance, "Someone wants to see you." he told him and opened the door wider. In bed, he saw the sandy hair young woman with a shining smile.

"Keith!" She beamed, "You're all right!"

He went to her and hugged her tightly, "I'm glad you're ok, too."

Hawkins went up to them, "I'm just glad all of you made it out safely." He patted Keith's back and then held his shoulder's tightly, "Thank you Keith."

Turning to face the general, he answered, "I didn't do much Sir. Sven and Lance did most of the work."

"Finally, credit!" Lance shouted.

"That's because you actually did something!" Erin answered brazenly.

"I see you are still a smart ass!" Lance snorted.

"Of course. Did you think different?" Erin cocked her head a bit to taunt him.

"Nope, but I'm glad you're still here."

The young woman smiled. "Thanks McClain."

Allura watched the interaction taking place. She became specially intrigued by how possessively Erin took Keith's hand. She held on to it as if afraid he'd leave her. The princess also watched Keith closely. With his other hand, he gently caressed Erin's cheek. And as she watched, something ignited in her and she started to feel a heat in the pit of her stomach and a tightening of the chest.

"Princess!" General Hawkins suddenly blinded her view. "Thank you so much for your help."

"Oh! Please don't mention it General. We were glad to help." She suddenly answered forcing a smile as she calmed her feelings. "Well, I'll let you all reminisce for a while." Allura then told the group, unable to stay there any longer, "I'll have Nanny notify all of you when dinner will be served."

About to turn, the princess suddenly heard Erin call her name and she turned around, "Princess, thank you so much for everything that you've done." She saw the young woman continued to hold Keith's hand, "You've helped me so much, I'll always be grateful to you." Keith smiled at Erin and squeezed her hand.

Nodding and managing to keep her composure, Allura smiled, "You are very welcome. Please rest. I'll see you at dinner."

The princess turned and left, her stomach feeling suddenly queasy.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lotor laid his head back on the rough surface of the cave wall. Every inch of his body ached. He thought night had hit the planet, but he wasn't sure. The prince felt hungry; lucky his new _friend_ went to find food. He didn't know why the old man helped him so much. Although, his suspicions of him had not seized, he knew the old man wanted something. _I'll play his little game and when I finally get what I want, I'll see what the old fool is playing me for_.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the comforts of his new _home_ did not allow him. He had to be careful. If he slept deeply, he feared he'd be greeted by one of his adversaries at knifepoint once he opened his eyes. For the past few nights, he ordered the old man to stay up while he slept, but that wasn't for too long. He didn't trust the old fool entirely either.

The cave, cold and wet, threw an air of malice. The entire pit housed an endless amount of angry souls that if they saw him…he cringed inwardly at the thought. He didn't know how the enslaved here survived. _I guess everyone finds ways to live despite how harsh we make it for them. _

Lotor wondered what occurred at the castle while away. His father, never possessing the characteristics of a simpleton, planned very well_. He's not impulsive_, the prince thought. _Whatever he's planned, he has thought and brood over it for quite a while._ _This doesn't fit. Why get rid of me in the cave, why not just kill me?_ King Zarkon, characterized as a murderer, didn't have a heart; surely an answer remained as to why Lotor still lived. His brain began to drip with thoughts and theories, unfortunately his search stopped when the old man who returned with a bag full of food.

"Your highness, I was able to find some food from other caves where slaves have apparently made homes for themselves."

"You stole their food?" Lotor questioned.

Nodding a bit nervously, the old man answered, "Yes Sire. I had no choice."

Laughing a bit, Lotor shook his head, "That's all right old man. We'll eat and then we'll keep moving."

"Yes Sire. If we work through the night, we should reach the outskirts of the compound."

"How far to the castle after that?"

"It will still take some weeks." The old man answered. "But keep your spirits high, my Prince. We are at least closer than we were yesterday."

Nodding, Lotor grabbed the bag from the old man, opened it and took some of the food from it. Once done, he tossed it back to him, "We'll rest for an hour and then continue. You can have the rest."

Nodding the old man looks inside the bag, finding that what's left are obviously remains or the smaller portions of the food. With a sigh of acceptance, the old man took one of the meager portions and began eating. "Yes, sire. One hour." he finally answered him as they both ate silently.

VVVVVVVVVV

Drinking wine in his room, Zarkon relaxed in a large chair close to his Vidscreen. "Connect to Haggar." He stated out loud and immediately the screen lit up. Within moments, Haggar's face appeared.

"You summoned me, your Majesty?"

Taking a zip of his wine again, he nodded, "Yes. Have you been monitoring our esteemed commander?"

"Yes Sire. The implant is working well. We should begin seeing the first stage within a couple of hours."

"Were you able to study all of its functions before putting it in him? I don't want any surprises."

"At the moment, you may get none. From what I was able to gather, everything the good doctor told Starr is correct. I had no problem modifying the program to fit our needs."

Smiling, Zarkon continued his inquires, "So he will begin seeing our way of life soon."

"Within a couple of days." she replied. "I also added some suggestions for what he must do for you as soon as the transfer is complete."

"Excellent!" he shouted with much enthusiasm. "I can't wait to welcome him home."

Haggar's smirk was equally sickening, "Soon our new prince will arrive, your Majesty. And that little problem named Throk will be a thing of the past."

Nodding excitedly, Zarkon swallowed the last bit of wine from his cup. "Haggar, make sure to start the preparations for his arrival and have Starr ready to welcome her soon to be husband properly."

"As you wish sire."

VVVVVVVVVV

Nanny poured the last remainder of the coffee into Keith's cup. Dinner had been a pretty joyous affair with many jokes, reminiscing stories of the past and retelling of stories from the present.

Allura had a wonderful time, except for certain instances where Erin gazed at Keith with such delight that it made the queasiness in her stomach come back from time to time. She also noticed how the young woman always seemed to bring back the conversation to events and places where they went or spent time together alone.

"Keith, do you remember that time we all went to Owl's Point and played that paintball game?"

_Oh good heavens!_ She thought as once again the young woman began to speak.

Lance's eyes beamed, "Oh yeah! Oh that was an amazing night." Turning to Allura and Romelle he began telling the story, "We broke out in teams and we had these guns that shot paint. Oh, that was so much fun! We started competing to see which team brought the other down first. By the end of the night, all of us had paint all over our uniforms." He finished laughing.

"Well not all of us." Erin shook her head, "I know of a certain commander who only had two stains." She pointed at him with her finger.

Smiling, Keith softly answered. "I may not have had too much paint, but my uniform was covered with soil and grass stains from avoiding all of you."

Allura immediately noted his stare. His eyes were glassy and he seemed to be in pain, "Keith, what's wrong?"

Erin's face completely changed. She hadn't paid attention to his behavior quite as Allura had, but now began to see, "Yeah Keith, your eyes look tired."

Shaking his head, he took his cup and drank some coffee before answering, "I'm fine really. I'm just fighting this nasty headache."

"How long have you had it?" Romelle asked.

"Since I woke up," he answered, "but, I'll take something before going to bed tonight."

Looking rather concerned, Hunk suggested, "Keith, you should let Gorma know. I mean, maybe you hit your head harder than you thought when you took that shot."

"I'm fine Hunk, thanks." Keith shook his head, "But you did remind me of something." Turning to General Hawkins Keith asked, "Sir, have you heard from Zarkon or Lotor yet?"

"No…nothing. I've asked the Explorer to contact me immediately if either of them contacts us, but so far nothing."

Sighing in frustration, Keith began tapping the table loudly with one of his fingers. "We haven't heard a thing either. I don't understand what's going on. This isn't like either of them to do something without a purpose."

Watching his frustration beginning to rise, Allura interjected his thoughts, "I think you should rest tonight and pick this up tomorrow, when you feel better."

"Princess Allura is right Keith." The general suggested, "Why don't you go somewhere where you can relax for a bit? Coran and I can work in the Control Room and look over any details. We'll let you know if anything comes up."

Nodding in agreement, Allura replied, "Yes, we can all go to the Rec room and relax for a while."

"That would be great!" Erin stated excitedly, "Dad, when are leaving? I'll still have some time to see Arus right?"

"Sorry honey, the Explorer has to go back on duty starting tomorrow. Therefore, we'll need to leave early in morning. Besides, Garrison will want to start an investigation about why Zarkon took you in the first place. They'll want you to interrogate you."

Erin's face went from excitement to disappointment. "So I won't be able to see Arus?"

"Well, Erin. I can at least show you the castle tonight, if you want." Keith volunteered.

"Really?" her eyes now beamed.

"Sure." He replied with a small smile, trying to ignore the headache, "I apparently need to relax and if you don't mind walking around a bit..."

Shaking her head she replies, "No...not at all."

Hearing the events taking place, Allura couldn't help but to speak, "Keith, are you sure you are up to this? I mean, you don't look well and you really haven't slept much. Perhaps Lance or Pidge can show Erin around."

"No, I'm fine Princess," Keith answered with a soft smile, "Really...I'll be fine and we won't take that long. Erin, would you like to go now?"

"Yes definitely." She stood up and walked over to Keith's side, "Ready to escort me Commander?"

"My pleasure." He answered as he stood up. "Excuse us." He directed his attention to the rest of the group.

Allura noticed Erin's possession of Keith's arm as he led her out. She looked at the gesture and suddenly the burning sensation in her heart ignited once again. Erin, obviously smitten with Keith, took every opportunity to be with him. Allura did not like this. She didn't like this one bit.


	12. Chapter 12

Once again, thanks Mertz!

_Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious..._ Michael Stipe

Chapter 12-Offers and Consequences

Erin walked alongside of Keith quietly as they headed toward the lake. He had given her a tour of the castle and the gardens as they themselves caught up with conversation. Unfortunately, he couldn't take her to the villages as it was too late in the evening. Instead, he took her to his favorite place. He wanted to go there anyway to relax and maybe think through what bothered him about the kidnapping situation.

The moon shined brightly, making the lake twinkle as small, rippled waves surfaced across the water.

"Is it always windy on Arus?" Erin finally asked to break the silence that's existed since they left the castle's interior.

"Just at night during the month or so before autumn hits." he answered her as Erin placed her arm around his.

Erin looked around and began paying particular attention to some specks of pink, red, and purple dots that flew around the lake, "What are those?"

"Fireflies. On Arus their wings light up in different colors at night." Keith answered. "They come together toward the end of summer to search for a mate."

"So it's tonight?"

"No," he shook his head, "They begin the search for their perfect mate a couple of weeks before the first day of autumn. On the first autumn night, they choose their mate and that is the one they will matestay with for life."

Erin smiled, "That is so interesting and they all light up like that?"

"Yes, you should see it on that night. The sky is filled with fireflies everywhere; and they light up brightly."

Turning to him, she told him, "Must be beautiful here."

Keith nodded in approval. "Yes. In the summer, flowers bloom by the masses. It's like the planet becomes one huge garden. But my favorite time of the year on Arus is the winter. You should see the snowball fights Lance strategically plans every year for us." he told her smiling. "Last year, he tried to trick the princess. It was pretty fun, the look on his face when she got the better of him…priceless."

"How?" she asked probing him.

He looked at the lake, for a moment lost in thought, "Pidge managed to create a snowball gun. You know how the kid is. He's full of imagination. Anyway, when he heard Lance's plan to ambush the princess, he wrapped the gun as a gift and left it at the princess' room with a note that said she would need it to protect herself from the "trickster Red Lion pilot"." They both laughed at the name.

Keith continued speaking as he thought back, "The night of our outing, Lance excused himself, telling everyone that he needed to take a call from his family and would meet us later. Well, to make a long story short, when Lance was about to attack, Allura turned around and blasted him several times, making him fall over. He looked like a freaking snowman by the time she was done with him." he finished laughing gregariously.

"You sound like you had fun." Erin told him, looking into his eyes.

"She was cunning and ruthless." he answered with a small laugh, enjoying the recollection for a moment.

"You told Pidge to leave her the gun didn't you? Keith, I know you too well."

"But it was his idea to wrap it into a present." He winked at her.

At that moment, old feelings began to flush back into her. Without thinking, Erin turned and kissed him. He pulled back at first, but then slowly relaxed and allowed himself the small pleasure.

"I...I forgot to thank you for saving me." she She told him after she finished kissing him.

"That's your new way of thanking someone? Erin, if that's it, then I'd be glad to save you every night." He answered sheepishly.

She smiled as she once again took his arm and led him further along their path, "Keith, I was thinking...we ended things on rather complicated terms..."

"Erin..."

She ignored him and kept on speaking, "I know it's been two years, but... we could try to...start again?"

At this, Keith's smile faded. "Erin, I…"

"Just think about it." She cut him off. "We can take it slow, no need to rush anything. How about you just come on your next leave and hang out with me? Just give it a try and we'll see where it leads...unless you have someone on Arus?"

He paused a bit, remembering his last encounter with the princess. He sighed inwardly before he shook his head, "No...I don't."

"Then how about it? Don't answered me right now…just call me when you come."

"Okay...but that may be a while, Lotor..."

She kissed him again, cutting off his words. "Just think about it…ok?" She replied when she broke away from him.

Keith simply nodded and gave her a small smile.

Noticing something strange when she kissed him earlier, Erin lifted her hand and touched his forehead, "Keith, are you feeling all right? How's the headache?"

Seeing her expression, he suddenly asked, "It still hurts, but I'm ok, why?"

"I don't know when I kissed you, you seemed warm, and even now you seem, a bit warmer."

"Other than the headache, I'm feeling fine Erin, really."

She continued touching his cheeks and forehead with her hand. A look of concern entered her eyes. "Keith, I'm serious. I think you're running a fever."

"Impossible, I don't feel hot or sick." he assured her with a small smile. "How about I get you back to your room; your transport leaves early tomorrow. You'll need your rest."

"Are you sure?"

He firmly answered her, "I'm fine. Let's go."

Erin looked back at him, surprised by the sudden change in his tone.

He caught that bitter tone in himself, unsure why he answered her that way. Keith apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so curt. This headache must be bothering me more than I thought. Let me escort you back."

Still a bit concerned, Erin nodded slightly, "Okay."

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith sat up abruptly in his bed. He quickly looked around and saw the clock on his nightstand. _Three twenty_. His head was killing him. He thought he was having a nightmare, but didn't remember dreaming anything. Rather, Keith felt someone had been speaking to him. He was talking to his enemy and worse, he was accepting everything he asked of him.

Suddenly, the young man became disoriented. "Maybe I spoke to him earlier?" he said aloud and then immediately grabbed his robe and headed to the Control Room.

xxxxxx

Pidge sat at Control surveying areas around the planet when the commander walked in, "Pidge, have we had anymore contacts from Zarkon?"

The young man turned around and raised his eyebrow, "What do you mean, Keith? We haven't heard from Zarkon at all."

Keith stared at him shocked, "What do you mean? I spoke to him earlier today."

Concerned, Pidge stood up and studied Keith for a moment, noticing his glassy eyes, "Keith, are you feeling all right? Headache still bothering you?"

Nodding, he answered, "It's killing me…but I could have sworn I spoke to him earlier..."

"Maybe you were dreaming Keith." Pidge lightly stated. "Let me call Gorma, maybe he can give you something."

"No, I'm fine." The commander told him, but at this point, he himself didn't believe it, he literally felt like his head would split open.

"The hell you are." Pidge harshly replied, "Go back to your room. I'll send Gorma there now." he ordered.

Keith didn't argue, he simply turned and walked out of the room. Shocked that he didn't argue, Pidge became even more worried. Turning back to the console, he hit a button, "Dr. Gorma, I need your help..."

VVVVVVVVVV

Back in his room, Keith sat on his bed as the pain increased. Never in his life had he felt such pain from a simple headache. Looking over his nightstand, he opened the bottom drawer that held his spare gun and currently, the bottle of pills that Gorma had given him a couple of weeks earlier. "Maybe, these will help?" he whispered to himself. About to open them, he was stopped by a knock at his door.

Walking over, Keith opened the door and saw Dr. Gorma almost immediately studying him. "Looks like a pretty bad headache."

The commander simply nodded then cringed at the pain that simple movement caused.

"Let's take a look at it." Gorma told him as he made his way in the room. "Have a seat Keith." The doctor gestured him to sit on his bed. Keith did as told as he put the bottle of pills in his hand on top of the dresser.

"You weren't thinking of taking those?" The doctor questioned.

"No," Keith shook his head softly. "I was going to ask you about them."

"These won't help with a headache. If you take enough of them, they'll put you out permanently, but they won't cure your headache."

"Ok, so I take it those are out of the question." Keith replied, closing his eyes as another wave of pain entered his head.

"Describe your pain for me." Gorma told him as a look of concern entered his features.

"It's just a pulsating pain…but it's all over the place."

The doctor studied Keith's eyes, they were dilated and glassy, "Do you feel nausea? Photophobia?"

"What?" Keith questioned.

"Sensitivity to light."

"Oh, no…I don't think so. Neither actually."

Turning around and opening his medical bag, the doctor retrieved a packet containing two large pills, "Ok, it looks to be a very bad migraine. I'm going to give you these. Take them right now and try to get some rest. If you don't feel any better in the morning, call me."

"Okay, thanks doc."

"I'm serious commander; tell me if this headache doesn't get any better or if it gets worse." The doctor firmly stated.

Keith nodded. "I will."

With a nod, Gorma then excused himself and bid the commander goodnight.

Keith did as told and took the medication almost immediately after the doctor left. He put the other pills in the drawer where he previously had them in and turned off the lights, hoping the pain would finally cease.

VVVVVVVVVV

A sunny morning welcomed Keith and the team as they walked Erin and the general out to her shuttle after breakfast. She seemed happy and very satisfied with herself as she looked at Keith, who walked alongside of her.

Once she reached the shuttle, Erin turned around to face all of them. "How can I ever repay all of you for what you did for me?"

"Oh, it was nothing." Lance waved his hand at her. "But next time you get yourself kidnapped, you're on your own!"

"Funny McClain!" She answered him back sarcastically.

She looked at each one. "Thank you. Thank you so much!" she told them sincerely. Hawkins smiled at his daughter and then addressed the group. "Princess, gentlemen, thank you so much for everything you've done for us."

Noticing their sincerity, Allura answered back. "You are welcomed. We are glad we could help."

"Thank you Princess." Erin replied and then turned around to Keith. "And you!" She smiled widely at him, "You better take me up on my offer. I want to see you on your next leave, got it?"

Allura's eyes widened in surprise, but she immediately stopped herself from showing the others her surprise.

Keith nodded uneasily. The headache, somewhat gone after Gorma gave him some pretty heavy medication, still bothered him. He didn't know what he felt, at times he thought he heard voices, but then they would disappear or someone would break his concentration and they'd suddenly go away.

"Sure…I'll be there," he answered, not really wanting to look at Erin, but managed to give her a smile.

"Good!" she replied and kissed him on the cheek.

Allura looked away, she couldn't understand why Erin's forwardness bothered her,_ But why, she's in her right. There's nothing I should be angry about._

The general and Erin gave one last goodbye and entered the shuttle. Moments later, it took off.

Allura walked ahead of the rest of the team back to the castle as Lance and Keith walked behind her. "So, what was that all about?" Lance asked.

"Nothing, she just wants me to visit Earth on my next leave."

Lance lowered his voice, "You've never taken a leave since we arrived to Arus. You're thinking about it now? Are you thinking of getting back together?"

Keith shook his head, "No…I don't know. I've never thought about it, Lance." He whispered back.

"Well, she obviously hasn't forgotten about you." Lance then looked at Keith. "Hey, you, all right? You still have that headache?"

"I'm fine. Gorma gave me something last night. It's just that..."

"What?"

Shaking his head, he began to dismiss it, "Nothing. I must still be drugged by Gorma's meds. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "So...you think she's still into me?"

As she listened to the conversation taking place behind her, Allura began to feel something she's never felt before, and that bothered her even more.

VVVVVVVVVV

The princess stood by the balcony of her room looking out at the beautiful Arus day. Outside, the sun shined and the cool breezes of the day flowed around her. The bright sun gave extra warmth, enough to keep anyone warm and comfortable.

In her mind however, she felt a storm of emotions. _Keith is a free man._ _He could date… he should date. Then, why do I feel like this?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door of her room open. She turned, to find Romelle walking in.

"Allura, the boys said that today is too perfect to just waste it inside the castle. They want to go out to the lake and have a picnic there. Even Nanny said it was a great idea!" Romelle joked excitedly. "_Even Nanny!_" she reemphasized the fact that the governess would even agree to the unplanned event.

However, Romelle's excitement withered as she looked at her cousin's hardened features. "What's wrong?"

Allura turned back to the balcony, "Nothing…nothing."

"Tell me," Romelle asked again as she moved to stand beside her.

Taking a deep breath before speaking, Allura turned back to her cousin, "I…I just don't see why she had to kiss him goodbye. She didn't kiss any of the other guys!"

"Huh?"

"Erin, Romelle. I'm talking about Erin!"

Still looking confused for a moment, Romelle suddenly started laughing, "Allura! You mean when she kissed Keith goodbye?"

_"You better take me up on my offer. I want to see you on your next leave, got it_?" Allura continued mimicking Erin when she spoke to Keith.

At this Romelle laughed even harder, "Allura…you're jealous!"

"I am not jealous, Romelle!" The princess immediately countered. "It's just that she doesn't have to throw herself at him like that. Doesn't she know that Keith hates to be pushed that way?"

"And how do you know that?"

"I just do. Keith doesn't like that kind of thing. I know that he hates being pushed like that, even though he won't admit it."

Romelle walked up to Allura, "I can understand that, but, why would you care? I thought Keith and you are just friends."

"We are friends." Allura replied tentatively, unsure of that statement now.

Romelle giggled as she shook her head, "I don't think so. You feel something for him don't you?"

"No," Allura shook her head. "Just friends." She restated, a little more firmly. "I don't feel anything like that. Besides, if I _did_ feel the way you said I did, I wouldn't have told Keith that I wasn't interested."

"Really?" Romelle told her in disbelief, "Allura, I don't think you even know what you feel."

"And what do you mean by that?" Allura questioned her cousin, a tinge of anger in her voice.

"Well dear cousin, if you didn't feel anything for Keith, _as you say you don't_, it wouldn't have bothered you what Erin said or did." Romelle turned and walked back into the room. "Either way, we don't have time to talk about this now. We leave in a half hour. Let's pick this up later tonight. Get ready quick!" She finished as she walked out of the room.

Allura walked back into her room and opened up her closet to change. Picking out her clothes, she laid them out in her bed and sat down next to them, her mind still on her conversation with Romelle. _'I don't feel anything for Keith, do I?'_


	13. Chapter 13

Special thanks to my wonderful editor!

_Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one._- Albert Einstein

13. Deceptive Illusions

_The perfect day_. That's what Pidge called it after they had left the castle and headed to the lake. The group took one of the castle transporters, ideal to fit the seven of them. Lance wanted to drive and took the helm, almost immediately, with Sven and Romelle in the front seat. Hunk and Pidge sat in the middle and that left Keith and Allura behind them.

During the ride, the princess saw Keith lay his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. A moment later, she noticed him cringe in pain.

"Keith, what's wrong?" She asked suddenly.

He opened his eyes immediately, "Nothing, I'm fine, your Highness." he told her with a slight bow of his head.

Noticing the commander's sudden unnatural demeanor, Allura slid over to him and whispered in his ear, "What's with being so formal with me all of a sudden?" She widened her eyes in anger.

"What are you talking about?" He whispered back to her defensively.

She noticed the anger in his eyes. Backing away, she replied, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything by it."

Keith shook his head slightly, his thoughts all becoming jumbled and heavy in his head. "I'm sorry too Allura; I didn't mean anything by it either."

The princess nodded, but didn't say reply. _He still must be angry with me._ She thought as she directed her eyes onto the landscape around her.

VVVVVVVVVV

The rest of the morning and the afternoon passed rather quickly. All of them were on call in case an immediate attack occurred, but after a couple of hours, they all relaxed, noting that neither Zarkon nor Lotor planned to attack anytime soon.

After brunch, the group spoke for a while and played cards. During that time, the commander had been quiet, mostly listening to their conversation. When it came time to play, he told them he'd rather watch them. When asked what was wrong, Keith dismissed their worries by saying that he hadn't slept much the night before and was just a bit tired. Allura noticed how at times, he tried to hide the annoyance from his face. Somehow, she felt that_ they_ were annoying him. While playing the last game, he excused himself, telling them that he had to speak to Coran and walked off.

After the last game, they broke out and separated around the lake, trying to relax for the rest of the afternoon. Romelle and Allura talked quietly by one end of the lake. Hunk pulled a long blanket and laid on it blissfully snoring the afternoon away, after eating whatever was left over inside the picnic basket, while Pidge read a book under a tree close to the entrance of the forest. A large oak stood tall toward the edge of the lake. Sven and Lance sat there and discussed their worries.

"It doesn't make sense." Lance shook his head as he spoke to Sven, "Not one communication signal or an angry snarl from either of them."

"I know! And that escape…way too easy man. What the hell are they planning?" Sven asked perplexed as well.

"Have no idea." Lance answered. "Maybe Keith has some thoughts. He's been quiet most of the afternoon anyway. We should hear what the hell is on his mind…if he cares to tell us, he's been rather moody all day."

"I know." Sven answered concerned, "Where is he?" He asked as he began to look around.

"He's still not back?" Lance gazed around the area as well.

"Where did he head?" Sven asked while standing up.

"Deeper into the forest, over where Pidge is sitting."

"Let's go find him."

xxxxxxxxxx

Keith heard the voice calling for him from the moment they arrived at the lake. He tried to dismiss it as his friends talked and played cards, but as time passed, it grew louder. Seeing the entrance of the forest, the commander concluded that the voice called him to go there. He made an excuse to separate from his friends and followed the voice….

_Son...it's time to go._

_Son...it's time to go...son...son...'Son...it's time to go._

The voice sounded familiar, yet it wasn't. Keith looked around...trees, the breeze...the voice..._ Son...it's time to go._

"Where?" he barely breathed out.

The trees, the breeze, the sound of the wind whispering to him, _Home_

The commander looked up and found he was no longer in the forest, but walking up a golden staircase as figures with blank faces vowed to him, _Son...it's time to come home._

He looked up…a throne, large and golden, with diamonds sparkling around it as if floating on nothing. Keith's father sat upon it. He smiled and spoke to him, _Son...it's time to come home._

"Father?"

Keith saw his father. The same dark hair, the same dark eyes, an image of himself as an older man, and then it wasn't. His father suddenly turned into large grandiose figure in blue with yellow eyes and a sly smile. The same voice he heard earlier beckoned him, _there's work to be done. It's time to come home._

"What must I do?" Keith asked as his view distorted and a whirlwind of images passed through his mind faster and faster until he was in the forest again, listening to the voices of his friends.

"Keith!" Lance voice yelled. "Where the hell are you?"

He looked around and ran his hands through his hair, "What the hell is happening to me?" Keith whispered as the voices came closer to him.

"Keith!" Sven shouted.

The commander had to control himself. He had no choice; Keith had to know what the hell was going on first before he could tell the others. If not, they'd think he'd gone crazy. "Here guys. I'm here." From behind him, through some bushes, Sven and Lance appeared. "Why the hell did you come out so far?"

"I...I don't know. I must have been lost in thought after speaking to Coran." He answered, trying to come up with a reason, which was hard since he still felt incredibly uneasy.

Sven must have felt it because he walked up to him looking concerned, "Tell me what's going on, Keith."

"Nothing really," he answered with a small smile, "Just came out here to think."

"Is it because of Zarkon or Lotor's strange attitude all of a sudden?" Sven replied, "Or is it because of what's going on between you and Allura?"

"Yeah...that...both..." Keith sighed, "Too many things guys."

"You want to talk about it?" Lance now questioned.

Shaking his head he replied, "No, it's ok. We better get back." Keith told them, walking ahead of them. He needed to get out of the forest. The voice was back.

VVVVVVVVVV

Haggar smiled as she stared into her crystal ball. She had paid close attention to the commander throughout the day, seeing everything from the first feed he received in the forest, to the continuing ones he had throughout the day. They were short, not nearly as fast she wanted them to be, but she did notice how each had a longer duration than the last.

"Soon, he will reach the second phase and we will be a step closer." The witch spoke to herself as her cat sat on a chair listening to her. "Coba, soon he will come home to us and finally Zarkon will have someone who will take us where we belong."

She watched now as he prepared to go to bed, another feed had entered his mind. He looked stressed; maybe he would have longer feeds while asleep. "Yes my Prince...get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning." She cackled as her cat ran up to her and purred by her feet. "Yes, my dear Coba...soon our prince will come home."

VVVVVVVVVV

"Come back…I'm coming back…I'm coming to you father!" Keith yelled as he jolted out of his bed. He looked around his dark room. Breathing heavily, he ran his hands through his hair. A feeling of anxiousness overtook him as he rose from his bed only to be quickly stopped as flashes of images appeared to him in his head.

_Doom_

_Zarkon_

_Crown_

He sat back down in the bed. The flashes of images began again,

_Doom_

_Zarkon_

_Crown_

"Home?" he said aloud, surprised by the word he chose. Keith walked out of his room as the flashes continued in his head and the voice soon rang in his ears as well.

_You're not a soldier!  
"There's work to be done"_

"_It's time to come back! It's time to come home!"_

He found himself in the Control Room, between the changing of guard. _You're fighting the wrong cause! You are not defending freedom! _Alone, he sat on the chair and punched the codes to Doom. Immediately, planet Doom appeared on screen. The massive dark planet revolving around black space called to him. Keith stared at it. An immense feeling of nostalgia hit him like a tidal wave. Keith looked at it and softly whispered, "Home."

He lifted his hand as he reached to touch the screen, engulfed in a trance.

_Doom_

_Zarkon_

_Crown_

_Doom, Doom, Doom_

"Keith?" Lance's voice jolted him back to the present.

Keith immediately stood up, looking around, "What am I doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Lance answered him with the same confused look the commander had as well.

Keith walked toward him, shaking his head, "Lance, I have no idea. I must have been sleepwalking?"

"I've never known you to sleepwalk."

"Me either." Keith sighed in frustration. "I'll go back to bed."

As he walked out, Lance called him, "Hey, Keith."

"Yeah,"

"Have Dr. Gorma check you out tomorrow. You don't look good."

Growing angry, Keith looked at his best friend with a sudden fire in his eyes, "I'm fine!" He replied, "See you in a couple of hours."

"Keith!"

Lance received no answer. Alone now at the Control Room, he turned and looked at the view screen to find Doom still rotating on its axis. "What the hell is going on with him?" he closed the image and sat down at the console, quickly dialing MedTech.

"MedTech services, who may I direct your call to?" the computer operator states.

"Dr. Robert Gorma."

"Transferring…"

Moments later the doctor appeared on screen, "Lance, is something the matter?"

"Yes Doc. I need you to check on Keith tomorrow."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. He just doesn't look good." The lieutenant answered before he proceeded to tell Gorma about Keith's behavior for the day.

"He didn't have a concussion when he came in here after your mission." The doctor replied. "I don't understand these headache symptoms and now you're telling me he has behavioral ones as well?"

"Looks like it."

I'll run a CT tomorrow. I'm not sure he should fly." He ordered, but immediately knew it would be a lost battle to ground Keith for no apparent reason, "Get him to MedTech after practice."

"Will do. Thanks!"

With that, Lance terminated the call. He sat back and wondered what, in fact, could be happening to his friend.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Keith made it to his room, still unsure as to how he ended up at Control. Still feeling nostalgic, he made every effort to fall back to sleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, however, the images came back, the voice did not cease and he began to feel a heat all over him.

_You're not a soldier!  
"There's work to be done"_

"_It's time to come back! It's time to come home!"_

He felt like screaming, but the voice told him not to. It told him to wait it out and soon the commander felt his eyelids close, darkness fall over him and although the voice continued to chant, it now felt easy on his mind.

_You're not a soldier!  
"There's work to be done"_

"_It's time to come back! It's time to come home!"_

Perspiration began to rise on his forehead and Keith wiped it away subconsciously. Soon, he not only listened to the voice, but began repeating the words aloud in his sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Hope you're having a great day Mertz! Enjoy it! Thanks for the editing my friend!

_Truth is so obscured nowadays and lies so well established that unless we love the truth we shall never recognize it. - Blaise Pascal_

14. Travelling the road to darkness

The next morning, Keith woke up feeling strangely angry. He thought the lack of sleep had finally made him moody. Dreams and nightmares of a place he both loathed and loved, at the same time, interrupted his sleep the night before. The thoughts continued tormenting him this morning. The voice he kept hearing in his mind continued telling him that he had work to do. _What work?_ He asked to himself. He felt he wasn't thinking clearly, but he couldn't stop himself from acting.

Sighing, his mind went back to the dreams. Keith thought he dreamt of his father, but wasn't sure. The commander knew that he hated the figure in the dream, but felt obliged to devote and honor him at the same time.

He looked at his clock, _five in the morning… time for practice_. He rose from bed and instantly felt a pulsing in his head. Keith rubbed his eyes to clear it. It didn't work. He decided to quickly shower and shave, hoping that would ease the pain. It was when he looked in the mirror that he noticed his glassy eyes and flushed features.

"Great, I'm getting sick too?" he asked himself aloud. The commander snorted; frustrated with one more thing he had to deal with this morning.

xxxxxxxxxx

Keith left his room, forfeiting his normal early morning coffee. Instead, he headed straight to the control room. Coran began greeting him, but the commander quickly stopped him.

"Good morning Commander, I thought you'd -."

"Launch the dais Coran, I'm ready to go."

At that, the advisor turned around, a bit surprised by his tone, "Commander, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Keith answered in a short tone. "Tell the others to meet me at Arusian Falls for practice." He stare turned hard on the advisor, "Coran…the dais." He ordered.

Coran did as bidden, but continued to study the young man in front of him, "Commander, you're looking a bit ill. Maybe you should consider canceling practice today."

"Nonsense, I'm fine." He stated, ignoring the pulsing pain in his head, "I'll contact you from there."

VVVVVVVVVV

Lifting the visor from his helmet, Keith wiped the sweat running down his forehead. He had lowered the air temperature to the coldest setting, yet he was suffocating inside Black's cockpit.

The rest of the team had met him at Arusian Falls, an area full of rocks and cliffs. The land, too hard and rocky to build anything on it, was perfect to conduct lion practice and testing new weaponry. When the team met him, Black lion stood waiting for them on a tall cliff. Ignoring their greetings and questions, he quickly started giving them orders to start practice without as much as giving them an explanation for his behavior. Now, about forty minutes into practice, Keith's patience has increasingly dropped and he can't stop himself from not only shouting orders, but berating his team. He's notices the sweat trickling down his face and neck, the feeling of hotness all over him and the voice that won't stop repeating the same words over and over from the night before.

The commander ignored the heat and the voice continued training, "All right, diamond formation at 45,000 feet. Go!" He ordered harshly.

The team did as bidden, but all of them knew Keith wasn't in the best of moods this morning. They didn't understand why. He even purposely blocked his vidscreen to prevent them from watching him.

"Lance you are off by fifteen degrees. Veer your lion to the left."

Lance did as ordered, but frustration rose within him. The commander had barked orders all morning, pointing out every flaw and imperfection. Everyone held their tongues, but Lance would lose it soon, he felt it.

The lieutenant sighed in frustration. _He's worse than yesterday. What the hell is wrong with him?_

"Lance, you are tilting again, GET IT TOGETHER LIEUTENANT!"

In their respective lions, Hunk and Pidge looked at each other through their vidscreen, wondering what the hell was wrong with their leader. Through his private line, Pidge contacted Hunk, "What is his problem today? He sounds like a man possessed."

"I have no idea little man, but whatever it is, we better do what he tells us and wait till he cools down."

"What do you two sorry excuses for pilots need to talk about that doesn't include the rest of the team?" Keith suddenly intercepted the line. "If this is a private matter, do it at your own damn time." He sneered.

"No Keith," Hunk immediately volunteered, "We are just worried about you. Are you…"

"Don't fucking worry about me, worry about your damn asses!" Keith yelled back, "Fall back and disengage!" He ordered the team once again.

_That's enough!_ The lieutenant suddenly thought. "Keith, I'm so fucking sick of you this morning!" Lance barked back, "What the hell is YOUR problem?"

"Don't fucking defy me, Lieutenant!"

"Bite me, you ass!" Lance replied. "Whatever problems you may have are your problems! We have nothing to do with this."

"The hell you don't!" Keith answered. He immediately turned his lion and flew right in front of Lance. Both lions stood still in mid air and faced each other. "I wouldn't have to get so fucking angry if all you do did what you're expected to do! Useless incompetent simpletons, especially YOU." Keith warned dangerously.

"What the hell are you going to do about it?" Lance shouted back.

Without even thinking, Keith slammed a button on his console and two of Black's stingray missiles flew toward Red lion with such quickness that if Lance hadn't moved, within a couple of seconds he would have been hit by them right in the lion's face.

"What the fuck!" Lance pulled his lion up as the first missile missed him, but the second hit the tip of the lion's tail.

Allura, along with Hunk and Pidge, screamed as they saw the display, "Lance! Lance!" The princess yelled, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." He reassured her, "No thanks to this asshole. What the fuck were you trying to prove anyway Keith?"

Keith just stared at the visuals in disbelief as if snapping back to reality. Never had he done something so careless…so stupid, and worse, he did it maliciously. He wiped the sweat off his face. Not able to stand the heat any longer, he took off his helmet and breathed heavily. His hands shook. The pounding in his head increased and the voice echoed more.

The voice began to speak to him even louder as he listened to Allura's and Lance's yells and shouts. Unable to stand it any longer, he immediately turned his lion and headed back to the castle, leaving all of them behind.

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith walked in to the control room in a rage that would not subside. The voice kept speaking; he tried to ignore it but it drove him crazy. _Imbecile! _He said to himself, thinking of Lance's provoking mouth. _But I provoked him… didn't I?_ Keith asked himself. _I don't... what's going on with me?_

"Commander!" Coran's voice boomed in the room. "What the hell is going on with you? You're throwing orders like a raging lunatic!"

Keith looked up at the advisor on the raised dais. Suddenly, the flashes came back, too many of them at the same time, he couldn't focus. The single voice now became voices that continued speaking to him like an out of sync chorus. Keith felt as if he were being sucked in by the images, drowning him into a dark abyss. The voices kept calling to him,

_There's work to be done_

_It's time to come home_

_There's work to be done._

_Return to your father!_

_There's work to be done_

_It's time to come home_

_There's work to be done._

_Return to your father!_

_There's work to be done_

_It's time to come home_

_There's work to be done._

_Return to your father!_

He dropped his helmet on the floor and put one shaking hand on his head, his eyes blinking rapidly as if grabbing the images rushing in his head and at the same time fully aware he can't. The room began spinning; the voices around him sounded like echoes of echoes. The voices in his head grew louder and he couldn't find a way to stop them.

Looking at him, Coran noticed his pain and now worried, he asked as he took the stairs down the raised dais, "Keith, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Lance barged in and ran to Keith grabbing him by the shoulder, ready to hit him, "What the hell is going on with you! Don't you ever try me like that again!"

Lance instantly froze looking into the blank eyes staring back at him. "Keith?"

"I...I have to..." Keith whispered. "He's calling..." is all he managed to tell him before the commander dropped to the floor, blacking out.

VVVVVVVVVV

_Come home...come home...come home._

_There's work to be done._

_It's time to come home,_

_There's work to be done._

_Return to your father!_

_Listen to your father... Listen... Listen... Listen..._

_Come home...come home...come home..._

_There's work to be done._

_It's time to come home,_

_There's work to be done._

_Return to your father!_

_Listen...to Doom...Doom...Doom...Doom..._

_Listen to your father... Zarkon... Zarkon... Zarkon..._

Keith's mind played two surreal truths that seemed every bit real to him, yet extremely confusing. One seemed like a dream, another, a reality. Which was which, he couldn't tell. It all felt so confusing, so real, yet so confusing.

As he began to wake up, a chill spread through every bone of his body. "What…happened?" he asked after he opened his eyes.

"He's awake," He heard a voice booming around him. He cringed at the loudness and suddenly a tremor reached him. Recognizing the voice, he tried to speak, "Lance…what happened to me?" Keith asked as he opened his eyes.

Lance studied his friend, trying to decide whom he spoke to. His old friend or the same man he almost fought with at practice, before answering, "It's all right Keith; you are just running a fever. You'll be ok."

Shaking his head, "No, I mean…" He sighed hard, gathering his thought, "I can't be here. I have work to complete."

"You're not going anywhere Keith." He heard another voice answer back. "You're staying in MedTech until you're better." The commander recognized the voice of the doctor. He turned his head around and found Gorma on the other side, checking his vitals.

"No," Keith firmly stated as he attempted to rise, but Lance softly pushed him back down.

"Don't be stubborn." Lance harshly countered as Allura walked in to the room. The lieutenant looked at her, "He's awake." She immediately went to him.

With labored breathing, he tried to speak, "You don't understand…I have work to do… for…Father."

The princess and lieutenant looked up at Dr. Gorma, who immediately stopped his work. "It could be just hallucinations or dreams brought on by the fever." He reasoned.

Lance did not buy the explanation. Keith never disoriented so easily. Turning back to his friend, he asked, "Keith, whose father?"

"Mine," the commander replied, closing his eyes as a wave of chills entered his body. "He told me that I have work to do."

"Keith, your father died when you were five." Lance corrected him.

At this Keith laughed lightly, "No, he's alive." He shook his head convincingly as he looked at his friend with feverish eyes. "He spoke to me. He's waiting for me."

"I can sedate him if you wish," Gorma looked at Lance and Allura.

"No," Lance stated immediately. "I have a feeling something is not right. Can we just keep checking on him? I don't want him unconscious in case I need to ask him questions."

"Of course."

Nodding, Lance looked at Allura, "Come on, he needs his rest."

"Ok, yes." The princess nodded nervously. She looked at Keith, who closed his eyes while fighting the tremors.

"Keith," she whispered, "You have to rest, ok?"

"There's…a lot of work….to be done….." He tried to rise again.

"All right buddy, rest up." Lance reassured him as he pushed him back down.

Gorma then injected him with a substance that subdued him, "It's for the fever, hopefully this will lower it…it also works as a relaxant. Don't worry, he's still awake."

When Lance and Allura left the room, the princess turned to ask her friend, "What did you mean by you have a feeling?"

"I mean Princess, that whatever Keith has is not…medical…I don't know." He sighed, "I think there's more than what we see."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday he did things that he would never have done; going off by himself, for example. I also noticed that he was very indecisive...it just doesn't add up."

"He was so quiet and irritable yesterday as well." Allura then offered her thoughts.

Nodding in agreement, Lance continued, "Last night, I found him at Control. It looked like he was in some sort of trance. I found his punching in the codes to Doom. And this morning...did you see him this morning?" he opened his eyes in shock.

The princess nodded, "It's like he was a completely different person."

"Exactly."

Both quiet for a moment, Allura's eyes widened in realization. "Lotor!" She exclaimed, more like a confirmation than a surprise.

Nodding in agreement, Lance replied, "Yes, I think so. We just need to find out how."


	15. Chapter 15

"_The great mystery is not that we should have been thrown down here at random between the profusion of matter and that of the stars; it is that from our very prison we should draw, from our own selves, images powerful enough to deny our nothingness__."_ Andre Malraux

Chapter 15—A Labyrinth of Mysteries

Sven, Allura and Lance sat in one of the conference rooms going over the details of the rescue mission with Erin Hawkins, who communicated with them from Earth. The room had gone silent after she had retold the accounts of that day for the fifth time. Tapping on the table, Sven began speaking, "Ok, let's go over it one more time."

"I don't know how many times we have to go over this again!" Lance countered. "Whatever happened, happened when he went to Erin's cell." Looking back to the vidscreen, the lieutenant asked, "Erin, are you _sure_ you don't remember anything else?"

Erin rolled her eyes again, "I told you Lance, I don't even remember being placed there. The last thing I remember was speaking to Haggar…and even that is hazy."

Lance sighed in frustration, "From what you've all told us, I don't see where he could have been infected or how. Dr. Gorma checked him and there's nothing infectious in his system."

"How about a spell? Maybe Haggar wiped out both of their memories." Sven suggested looking at the group.

Allura shrugged and sighed, "Dr. Gorma is looking into that as well. He's calling a healer from one of the neighboring villages to check Keith over."

"This entire situation smells like Zarkon." Lance leaned his chair back.

"Why not Lotor as you mentioned earlier?" The princess asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at him.

"Lotor would have gloated at this point. Zarkon is more calculating." Lance answered not looking at her.

Sven raised the subject to which all three participants stared wide eyed at him. "He is trying to kill Keith."

Allura's voice rose with panic and anger. "He won't go down that easily…not Keith." She shook her head trying to convince herself.

"He may have a purpose for Keith." The young girl on the vidscreen volunteered her eyes far away for a moment.

"What do you mean by that?"

Shaking her head, she tried to remember, "I vaguely remember Haggar telling me that I was offering Zarkon the galaxy. Maybe they kidnapped me to get to Keith."

"I think they succeeded." Sven answered coldly. Allura looked at him worried. "They may want to attack Arus and take over Voltron now that they know Keith is out of the way. We have to prepare for an attack."

Nodding in agreement, Lance looked at his friend while asking, "Will you fly for Keith?"

"Of course I will. God forbid, Zarkon takes over Arus Pollux is next. I can't let that happen." Sven answered. Turning to Allura, he asked, "Princess, do you mind if I take over Black?"

"Of course not Sven." she replied, but her thoughts lay elsewhere. Just then, her comm. unit beeped. "Allura...come in…"

"Coran, what's wrong?"

"Princess, please report to MedTech." She heard the advisor state. "Dr. Gorma needs to see all of you."

They all looked at each other. "Right away." The princess stated before cutting the communication. She looked up at the young girl whose eyes showed concern. "Erin, we'll contact you soon."

"Let me know how he's doing." the young girl answered worriedly. With that, she disconnected.

"Come on!" Allura immediately stood up and ran ahead of them.

Allura ran into MedTech as fast as she could, almost breathless when she reached Dr. Gorma who was standing outside Keith's room. Lance and Sven quickly ran up behind her.

"What happened to him? Is he all right?" She asked in between her breathing.

Gorma touched her shoulder, sympathetically, "Calm down, Princess." He looked at the rest of them, "He's the same. It's just that he has been slipping in and out of his lucid states less frequently and right now he seems very lucid. I thought you might want to speak to him now before…"

"Before what?" Sven asked.

"His lucid states are decreasing at a rapid rate. I just want to be sure you have all the information you need from him before he becomes completely confined to the other state."

"Shit!" Lance shook his head.

Nodding in disappointment, Allura walked toward the room, "Thank you Doctor. We'll go see him now."

"No," Lance immediately stated. He knew she needed this time with him, "You go. We'll wait outside. Ask him everything you can."

Allura nodded at both of them, "All right." She told them before walking in.

xxxxxxxxxx

The room was quiet when she walked in; except for a bit of heavy breathing from him and an occasional tremor that shook his body and made him move around.

"Keith,"

He opened his eyes, and forced a smile when he saw her, "Hey you," he whispered.

"Hey you," Allura whispered back, taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the bed he was in.

"Did they find out…what's wrong with me?" Keith asked, looking at her with fevered eyes.

"No, not yet; but Gorma is still working on it." She tried to comfort him caressing his hair.

He nodded slightly and began shaking, "I'm sorry about…today…I didn't mean to be…so harsh with…all of you."

"We know it wasn't you. Keith... you have to tell me if you remember anything before you got sick. Anything you touched or something strange that happened while you were at Doom. Anything that can help us?"

Keith shook his head slowly, "No…nothing."

"Please try to think, when you were at Doom getting Erin back…did something happen to you?"

Flashes of Erin's rescue rapidly ran through his head. So fast, he closed his eyes to avoid the waves of nausea that began to rip his stomach.

"Erin? That was…real?" he opened his eyes to see the princess studying him tentatively.

Her eyes grew more concerned with shock. "Yes, Keith. That was real."

"Doom," the captain closed his eyes. An eerie smile crept across his lips; the word sounded so pleasing to him.

Suddenly, his eyes darted around under the eyelids; Allura watched him studiously.

"Keith,"

When he began slowly opening his eyes, Allura reached down and pulled on his face to force it up to meet hers, "Keith, look at me damn it! Stay with me."

As he looked at her blankly, the voice coming back in his head…

'_There's work to be done.'_

'_Come back to us,'_

_There's work to be done.'_

'_Return to your father!'_

He swallowed hard and looked at her, "I have…work to do…I have to return…to Father."

"Keith,"

His eyes closed; Allura noticed the movement of them as his lids closed.

"Fight it, Keith, please fight it."

Sighing harshly, she caressed his cheek once more then walked out.


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you Mertz for the edit! Charigul, thanks for your suggestions. I'm keeping some in mind for the future chapters!

A special thanks to all who have reviewed; I appreciate the time you take to let me know your thoughts and appreciation. Thank you.

Here's the next one!

In every man's heart there is a devil, but we do not know the man as bad until the devil is roused. _JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD_

Chapter 16: Let the Evil Begin Its Path

Haggar quickly made her way to the king's chambers. As soon as she arrived at his door, they opened for her, as if she were expected. A bit surprised by the act, she didn't say a word as she entered the king's room. The witch found him on his usual chair, looking over a large datapad and typing something on it; his long black nails doing all the work for him.

"Sire…" she began but was cut off by Zarkon.

"Surprised weren't you Haggar? You aren't the only one with magical powers around here." The king laughed sarcastically as he lifted his gaze toward her. "I have eyes everywhere. I knew your rotten self was on the way here. What news do you bring?"

She seethed inwardly. Haggar hated his cockiness when he thought he had the upper hand, but she controlled herself. She had plans of her own and this wasn't the time to attack. "Our esteemed Commander has just entered stage two." She stated a bit flatly.

He smiled brightly. "Perfect." Zarkon paused for a moment. It was time now; none of them could stop the process at this point. "We need to contact our friends on Arus. I'd be interested in knowing what they are thinking at this point."

xxxxxxxxxx

In his room at MedTech, Keith continued tossing and turning in bed as if battling a nightmare. He found himself in the middle of an endless mist, searching for the voice for that kept calling to him. Darkness roamed around him. He tried to hone in on the voice that beckoned him in order to find some light to the never-ending darkness. As the voice continued calling; Keith also found that it calmed him.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for him._

He looked around, such darkness. He didn't know where he was headed, but knew the voice would give him to the correct path.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for him._

"Father," Keith called out, but the voice continued chanting.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for him._

He walked through the mist; the voice sounded stronger.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for him._

An image appeared within the fog. Keith couldn't make it out, but the voice came from the vague image. He ran to it; feeling at first, he couldn't reach it, but then without explanation, he was right in front of it. A strange feeling of peace overcame him; he suddenly felt he was...where he belonged.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for me._

The mist suddenly lifted, and Keith began to see.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for me._

He saw the tall blue man with dark yellow eyes speaking to him.

_Come to me...son. Join your father and fight for him._

"Father," he whispered as the crowned, blue man's yellow eyes brightly glowed,

_Come to me...son. Join me and fight with me._

An overwhelming joy entered the commander and he smiled.

The team gathered in the conference room. Allura needed to let Pidge and Hunk know what was happening and what needed to be done for the moment. She would have rather sat with Keith at MedTech, but decided that after the briefing, she'd join him.

"What's wrong with him?" Pidge asked. An expression of worry formed in his young face.

"We don't know." Lance shook his head, "Dr. Gorma is running tests at the moment; hopefully he'll find something soon."

"So what are we going to do in case of an attack?" Hunk immediately volunteered. "I mean, if Lotor finds out the commander's down..."

"We know." Allura nodded, her features paling with worry and anxiety as well. "Sven will take over for Black until Keith's better."

Romelle took Sven's hand and squeezed it. "You know I have to do this," he whispered in her ear.

Nodding, the young princess replied, "I know."

"For the moment," Lance then stated, "We need to continue our duties as planned. We will still conduct practice and we continue to practice hand to hand combat. Everything is normal, exactly as Keith would want it. Understood?"

"Yes," they all replied.

Just then, Lance's comm. unit went off, "McClain,"

"Lance," Coran's voice was full of worry, "It's Zarkon. He wants to speak to the princess and…the acting leader of the Voltron Force."

"Shit!" Lance looked at the rest of the team, "I knew the bastard was behind this! We'll be right over." He finished as he cut communication. "Get ready, Zarkon's game has begun."

xxxxxxxxx

Everyone ran to the control room. This was it. Now they all knew the King of Doom had begun his evil game. Coran faced them once they were inside, "Be ready for anything he throws at you." he stated as he looked at Lance and Allura. Both of them nodded in reply.

With that, he turned around and keyed the command to connect the communication. Within seconds, the image of King Zarkon appeared.

"Voltron Force, how great to see all of you." He began, almost laughing.

"What do you want Zarkon?" Lance played it cool.

The king smiled at him with such eeriness, it intimidated Lance for a moment, "I contacted all of you to inquire about Commander Kogane's health."

Immediately, Allura jumped up, "What the hell did you do to him, you bastard?"

"Princess...such foul language..." Zarkon sarcastically grinned, "I'll tell you one thing, I didn't directly cause his…illness, but I can help you cure him if you are interested. Well, not really cure him, just…help him live with his new…outlook on life." The king smiled.

"What are you planning Zarkon?" Coran jumped in.

"Planning? No, my dear advisor," He joked. "The plan has been underway for months and it's about to be completed."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Father!" Keith called out as he abruptly sat up in bed. He looked around and found his surroundings strange and unfamiliar. He felt hot, but cold at the same time. Drenched in sweat, the young man tried to hear the voice, but it was now gone and he suddenly felt alone and lost.

Not wanting to stay there any longer, he rose and exited the room. Keith continued to search for the voice, but couldn't hear it at all. With his heart beating faster by the minute, he walked within the hallways of the castle like a lost child trying to find safety. He searched for the figure in his dream, the one he now longed to be with.

The commander found that he recognized everything, yet nothing felt remotely familiar to him. He felt hot; yet chills continued to plague his body, shocking him every few seconds. He shook his head to clear the fuzziness and fogginess encompassing him.

Keith suddenly thought of the room that carried the only means of communicating with his father. He _needed_ to communicate with his father. Only he could save him from this place.

xxxxxxxxxx

In the control room, Lance took full command as he stood in front of the rest of the team. Allura and the rest could not hide the hate they felt for the King of Doom. Zarkon loved every minute of it.

"Are you ready to make a deal?" The king asked very calmly and coolly.

"You're a crazy son of a bitch, you know that!" Lance fired back. "No deal!"

Laughing, Zarkon shook his head, "You are all just slowing down the inevitable."

"What are you talking about?" Allura yelled back at him with so much disdain that it surprised the king a bit.

"Tsk tsk, lovely princess. Coran, did you not teach her manners?" The king mocked.

The advisor closed his eyes, trying to maintain control.

"Damn it Zarkon, stop playing games with us!" Sven yelled back.

As the battle of words continued, Romelle, who stood by the entrance of the control room, felt someone walking up behind her. She quickly turned and her eyes widened in horror as she saw whom it was and heard his voice.

"Father?"

Suddenly, the word battle ceased as the people in the room all turned around when they heard his voice.

"Keith?" Lance stood in shock when he looked at his friend's complexion. Keith's face was blanched, bone white. The dark circles surrounded his eyes made him look like he'd been punched. Drenched in sweat and shaking violently, the commander smiled at Zarkon.

"Father…it's you."

Zarkon's facial expression changed upon seeing him. It became one of satisfaction and complete gloating, "Son…I've been waiting for you."

Lance turned around to view Zarkon's face, confused.

Keith attempted to walk up toward the screen, but was stopped by Hunk, Sven and Coran. "No!" he screamed, "Let go of me, let me go!"

"Son, come back to us! Don't let our enemy win! We need you by our side." The king shouted from the vidscreen.

"Father! Don't leave me with these people! Don't leave me!" Keith yelled hysterically.

"Son, you will come back. Find your way back to us!"

Allura took out her comm. unit and quickly called in for medical help, "Dr. Gorma, come immediately to the Control Room. Keith needs to be sedated now!" She then ran over to him and tried to calm him.

"Keith, look at me!" She ordered trying to him hold his face so he could meet her eyes.

For a moment, Keith looked at her and all Allura saw was hate filled eyes staring back at her, "Stay away from me!" he yelled at her as he then tried to attack her. Allura immediately pulled back.

Sven, Hunk, and Coran tried to control their commander, throwing him to the floor as he screamed and shook on the floor, "Keith, control yourself man!" Sven yelled in frustration.

"Get the hell off of me!" He continued yelling with fury as he fought against his captors. His eyes showed pure hatred toward them as he looked at his friends with fiery disdain, "Let me go to him! Get away from me!"

Zarkon smiled at the display. Within seconds Gorma appeared in the room and ran over to the screaming commander, injecting him in the neck with a sedative, which immediately subdued him. He relaxed and passed out, although the shakes and tremors were still present.

Lance walked over to their friend, noticing how his features contorted to what looked like pain. Lance cringed, "Keith?"

"He won't be able to answer you," Gorma replied, "I've completed knocked him out."

Seeing that Keith has now somewhat relaxed, Lance stood and turned to the vidscreen as both he and Allura faced Zarkon once more, "What the hell did you do to him?" Lance fired back, his own hatred even more evident.

Laughing hysterically, Zarkon just answered, "I told you, nothing was done directly by me. Soon the process will be complete and he will come willingly and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Why are you doing this?" Allura asked, fighting back her tears.

"Because my dear. I need a ruler, someone who can take the helm once I am gone and the good commander here is the best person for the job. Besides, I need a worthy son, and Kogane should have the opportunity to have a father figure in his life."

"You're sick." Allura replied as she shook her head in disgust.

"Isn't that Lotor's job?" Lance suddenly asked.

"Ah...that son," The king sighed as he nodded. "He doesn't have the skills to lead, so unfortunately, he is not worthy of my affection. Don't get the wrong ideas, I'm not going anywhere for a while, but with Kogane under my control, I will train him, guide him; mold him into a true prince. In time, he will become the future King of the Drule Empire and the greatest leader, next to me. Garrison hasn't used his talents to their full potential. I plan to."

"That's your plan? You want Keith to rule Doom?" Lance asked with disbelief. "Listen to me you damn conniving son of a bitch. I won't let you. You will not get away with this!"

Zarkon snorted at the young lieutenant as he turned to see Keith's lying form on the floor, "My dear Lieutenant, I just have." He finished before he cut transmission.

"Fucking, son of a bitch!" Lance yelled, kicking the chair in front of him with such hate, it fell right over.

Checking Keith's vitals, Gorma noticed an increasing sound of stuttering and moaning, "Come on," He gestured with his hand, "Help me take him to MedTech. I think he might be starting to go into shock."

Sven and Hunk each grab one side of their friend and took him back to MedTech. Pidge followed close behind them; he turned and looked at the three remaining people in the room. "I'll see you guys there." He told Lance and Allura as they gave a short nod to him.

Coran shook his head, eyes filled with frustration. He banged his hand on the console and sighed hard. This time Zarkon had gone too far. "I'm going to meet with our guards; we'll need to upgrade our security levels."

After he left, Allura broke down in tears, "Lance, what are we going to do? I can't….I can't…"

Turning to the princess, Lance hugged her knowing her feeling towards Keith made the situation worse, "Don't worry, Allura. I won't let anything happen to him. I promise."


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you all who continue reading. Sending my deepest appreciation and good thoughts.

Chapter 17

_We must be willing to fail and to appreciate the truth that often "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."_ M. Scott Peck

A Mystery Somewhat Solved

Maryann tapped her heels lightly as she waited in the admiral's office at Galaxy Garrison headquarters. She found out that today, Colonel Hawkins and his daughter were briefing the Garrison as to the events that led to her kidnapping and rescue from the Drules. When she arrived both Hawkinses were being briefed. She told the secretary she'd wait there until they were done. She had cancelled all her classes for the day in case her waiting would take all day.

For the last few days, since she'd given the chips to Lieutenant Commander Starr, Maryann felt this unease that about how she had given away an entire year's worth of research in a matter of an hour. Worse, when she tried to contact Angela Starr, all that was told was that her whereabouts were confidential. She knew something did not make sense. Maryann tried going to Admiral Graham, but he was on assignment so she waited and the wait was killing her. Finally, it culminated into this, waiting for the doors ahead of her to finally open and have Colonel Hawkins walk out so she could speak to him.

After almost three hours of lingering, Maryann's waiting finally ended. The doors flew open and Hawkins emerged with his daughter in tow. Both looked worried as well as frustrated. She studied them as they walked toward her. The young girl, dressed in her Garrison cadet uniform, was the image of her father. Light sandy hair, perfectly shaped into a bun with her Garrison hat over her head. The dark uniform she wore held only a few metals, but enough to impress anyone her age. The skirt was to her knees and dark pumps completed her look.

The colonel looked impressive in his Garrison uniform, military haircut and highly shined shoes. He was tall with light blue eyes and was nicely shaped for a man his age. She could tell he still worked out by the way he filled out his uniform. Maryann's thoughts were interrupted by the young woman's voice. "Dad, you have to do something! We need to go back and rescue Angie."

"Erin, we don't know anything about this Angie girl!" he countered. "For all we know, she could have been the bait Zarkon used to get to you."

"We don't know that for sure! What if we are wrong? What if she's now being used as some kind of slave or worse! Dad, you know what Lotor is capable of! We need to help her!"

About to argue with his daughter, the colonel was interrupted by Maryann, who had walked up to them in the midst of their discussion. "Excuse, Colonel Hawkins…"

"Yes?"

"Maryann Marseille. Dr. Marseille." She confirmed.

"Yes!" The colonel suddenly smiled with recognition and extended his hand to her. "Of course…nice to see you again."

She shook his hand, "I'm glad that your daughter is safe." Maryann turns her gaze to the other member of their small group, "Welcome back Cadet Hawkins."

The young girl smiled a bit and nodded, "Thank you."

Turning to the colonel, Maryann continued, "I wanted to speak to you in regards to the chips that were used in the rescue mission that brought back your daughter."

The colonel looked at her questionably, "The study chips? Doctor, what are you talking about? Why would we use those?"

Maryann's face paled considerably, enough for the colonel to place his hand on her shoulder, "Doctor, are you ok?"

She shook her head, "Colonel, when your daughter was captured, I had a visit from a Lieutenant Commander Angela Starr. She told me you needed the chips in order to control a Drule who would ultimately rescue your daughter."

The colonel's eyes widened, "No, the Voltron Force rescued Erin. I never authorized anyone to retrieve those chips. No one was supposed to know about the chips."

"Oh God!" Maryann exclaimed in disbelief. "She told me the Force would serve as back up. She gave me official Garrison paperwork to authorize her taking them!"

"Who is this damn Starr?" The colonel's frustration rose, "Doctor Marseille, the only ones who know about that project are the admiral and myself and your team."

"I know...I know...I don't understand, she sounded like she knew all about it and she made it sound like you authorized it!"

"Damn it! Have you located her?" Hawkins asked.

"That's just it, I haven't. She's gone missing. I've inquired about her for days and all I get is that there is no information available on her because it is classified."

"We better go to the admiral." Hawkins turned to his daughter, "Erin, you need to go back to class. I'll contact you later." He gestured to Maryann to walk ahead of him as they turn to leave, but Erin's voice stopped him.

"Angela Starr? Doctor Marseille, did this Angela Starr have blonde hair and blue eyes, her eyes...exotically shaped perhaps?"

"Yes!" Maryann exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know her?"

"Yes," Erin nodded with a determined and angry look, "I know her quite well."

vvvvvvvvvv

Dreams continuously played in his head; everything seemed like one long dark dream with no light, just blackness all around and a voice that kept him company…

_"Son, you must come back. You must come back to us. Listen to my voice." _

He heard the soothing voice; it gave him peace when everything around him felt chaotic and lonely.

_"I will come back father …I will come back to you."_

"I w…wi…will ccc…come bac…k, fa…fath...father…"

"I w…wi…will ccc…come bac…k, fa…fath…father…"

Allura heard him recite these words repeatedly as laid in darkness. Keith kept reciting the words; they broke her heart. At the same time, she felt like hitting him…shaking him, so he could snap out of whatever lie he was living now.

She dipped a small towel in a bowl of ice water that sat on a table next to his bed, then placed it gently on his burning forehead. Hours had gone by since Zarkon's enactment of the concerned father and the fever had worsened. The shaking was uncontrollable and Allura hated that she couldn't do anything to help him.

"Keith, please answer me," she whispered in his ear, but he didn't answer her. He just kept reciting that awful phrase like a chant. That he called Zarkon his father sickened her. God what wasn't she willing to do to stop it.

The rest of the group sat silently in the room keeping vigil with her. No one wanted to leave, frightened that if they left, they would somehow lose him. Keith breathed heavily, as if he was in excruciating pain. His hair and face were drenched in sweat. His face couldn't get any whiter than it was at the moment.

Dr. Gorma came in with a grim look on his face.

"Well?" Sven asked desperately as he stood up from the chair where he had been sitting next to Romelle.

"Inconclusive." he simply answered.

"What do you mean?" Romelle asked.

"What I mean Princess, is that I ran every single test imaginable. There's nothing in his system, absolutely nothing!" Gorma said looking at Keith and feeling overwhelming frustration at the same time.

"Maybe it's a spell." Pidge suggested.

"No, not that either." Gorma shook his head. "I've had sorcerers and healers look him over. It's not a spell either."

"Then what the hell is it?" Lance snorted, frustrated as he looked at his two friends.

"I have no idea. All the tests show he's fine. Blood pressure is normal, his heartbeat is normal. He's in perfect damn condition! I don't even understand why he would have a fever. My only guess is some type of foreign object." he said frustrated. "I ran a body scan earlier today, and I should have an answer in a day or two."

"Two days?" Hunk exclaimed more in disbelief. "Look at him! You think he'll last two more days?"

Allura's eyes went wide as she looked at Hunk. Her expression paled.

"Hunk!" Pidge yelled.

"Sorry," Hunk answered, shaking his head.

"I ran an all level body scan. It scans every level of the skin organs and tissues. Regardless of all our advancements, some things still do not take a couple of hours, especially for something small enough that is meant not to be found."

Gorma continued, "I can't control the fever. My guess is that whatever is in him controls it and until that's out, I can't give him anything for it. All we can do now is wait and see what is the purpose of whatever Zarkon gave him."

"To make him king," Lance answered. After a brief pause, he continued. "Although, I still don't understand Zarkon's demented plan."

Allura took the cloth away from Keith's forehead. It was wet, but warm. She wet it again in the cold water and then placed it again on his forehead. For a minute, Keith opened his eyes and looked at her. However, all she saw was dark vacant eyes staring back at her before he again sealed them shut and continued reciting his mantra over and over.

"Everyone, just get some rest. There's nothing anyone of us can do for him now." Gorma said as he made everyone stand, "I'll be monitoring him tonight and will notify you if anything changes."

As everyone began to depart, one figure did not move. Coran walked back in to the room, "Allura, we should go."

She shook her head. "No, I'm staying with him tonight, Coran."

"Allura…"

"He needs to know that I'm here. I need to know that he's still here." She said as her voice cracked.

"Allura, whatever is happening to him, doesn't look like it will get worse tonight." Lance suddenly stated as he stepped back in next to Coran.

Allura looked up at the lieutenant, "Lance, what if I never have a chance…" she stopped what she was about to say, looking back at Keith instead.

"Chance for what, Allura?" Coran asked.

She once again shook her head, "Nothing, I…I just want to see Keith get better."

Coran shook his head. "He will Princess, just have faith." Sighing, the advisor knew where the princess' thoughts lay. "I'll allow you to stay for the night, but I'll have someone from the Castle's crew bring you a cot for you to rest." He finished as he turned to leave. "Good night Princess."

"Good night Coran. Thank you." She stated softly before he left.

Once Coran was goneleft, Lance walked up to Allura and whispered in her ear, "He will be better. You know Keith,Keith; it takes a lot to bring him down." She smiled at the hope he gave her. He kissed her in her cheek and began walking out of the room, but stopped at the door, "And when he does, make sure you tell him what you won't tell me. I'm sure he feels the same way." Lance didn't wait for her reply,reply; he just smiled sadly and left.

"Keith," she whispered when they were finally alone, "Please get better. I can't…" Allura started crying, "I can't do…any of this…without you."

vvvvvvvvvv

Lotor and Danner had reached the outer skirts of the Pit of Skulls and started trekking across the planet's hard, rock surface. "The caves along the way will serve as shelter for the cold nights."

"What about food?" Lotor asked as he looked around the desolate surroundings.

"Well, along the way, we'll need to catch it." Danner shrugged.

"Catch what?" Lotor's face featured a disgusted look.

"Food, my Prince." Danner smiled. "We'll need to catch our food. I heard the vultures are pretty tasty. Besides, if we don't have them, _they _may have us for dinner."

With a resigned look, Lotor nodded, "How long until we arrive at the castle?"

"Walking...about two weeks, if we walk at least ten miles a day."

Lotor saw the vultures flying up ahead in the dimly lit red sky. '_They think they'll eat me? I'll enjoy eating each of these pieces of shit while I'm here.'_ He looked at Danner. "Come on old man, we have a long way to go."


	18. Chapter 18

Happy Sunday! I hope you all have a wonderful week. Work hard, but play harder! In other words, enjoy life. We only live it once.

Things are now unfolding; I hope you are enjoying it the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. The soap opera continues…

Chapter 18: Desperation at Heart

_Action is the antidote to despair._ Joan Baez

Maryann packed for her trip to Arus. After she had spoken to the colonel earlier that day, she asked permission to travel to the blue planet and speak to the Voltron Force. Maybe, they had encountered the famous Starr woman, who she now believed worked for Zarkon and had stolen her research.

Hawkins had informed Maryann that he suspected that his daughter had been kidnapped in order to steal the doctor's research. He wondered how Zarkon found out about the chips and suspected a leak within Garrison. Now he had to find the culprit. That in itself wouldn't be easy.

As she packed her travel bag, the doctor's anger continued to brew. All her hard work, endless hours of studying, researching, testing …it all now belonged to the enemy. Maryann refused to allow a year's worth of information to be acquired by the Drules. Hopefully the Force would help her retrieve the chips from Doom.

The doctor zipped her travel bag, headed out of her bedroom and closed the door to the apartment. Wearing her Garrison flight uniform, Maryann found the city cab parked on the curve of her building. She had called for it about a half hour earlier.

"Where to Miss?" The driver asked as she slid in.

"The Garrison Transport Launch Area." She replied as she zipped up her flight suit. The doctor never thought she'd wear it again. After one of her Garrison missions almost ended her life, Maryann gave up the sky and chose instead the quiet life of faculty teaching and researching.

"Main one on base?"

"No, the one on the east district, zone 12 of the city."

"Going to the Azure Quadrant, huh," the taxi driver began his conversation as he pulled out and took to the street. "Visiting friends?

"Not really." She answered vaguely.

"So why going so far lady?"

"Oh, I'm going to get something back that belongs to me." Maryann replied as her thoughts continued to make the anger within her brew.

VVVVVVVVVV

Allura lay with half her body on the bed as she sat next to Keith. His arm served as her pillow, resting under her cheek. As she slept, the princess felt a whiff of air pass by her and immediately woke up, "Keith?" she whispered sleepily.

"I'm sorry I woke you, your Highness. I'm inserting the commander's IV line. Dr. Gorma felt he needed needs to keep him nourished." the older nurse explained.

"Has there been a change in his condition?" Allura asked as she sat up.

Shaking her head the nurse gave her the disappointing news, "No, I'm afraid. He did manage to stop talking in his sleep."

The princess turned to him. He was still moaning softly and trembled slightly, but at least he didn't seem to be in that trance he had been in earlier. "Keith, please open your eyes...open your eyes..._please_." she whispered in his ear expecting a miracle, but not receiving any.

The nurse was heartbroken; she knew what the princess felt for her teammates. Allura was very possessive of each one of them. She also knew that the team was quite possessive of her as well, especially the commander. _I guess she feels the same way for him too,_ she thought as she watched Allura gently caressed the commander's cheek.

"Princess, why don't you get some rest, it's a quarter past three. I know you haven't rested."

"I'm not leaving him Grace." Allura defiantly answered.

"Alright," the nurse turned, took the princess by the hand and led her to the cot on the other end of the room. "Let's compromise. At least sleep in the cot they brought you. He's not going anywhere and if anything changes, I'll personally wake you up."

Allura at first fought her, but then Grace told her she'd call Nanny and that seemed to stop the defiance. "Fine, but promise me you'll wake me." Allura finally relented.

"I promise," the nurse smiled.

Allura sighed and lay down on the cot. Within a couple of minutes, she fell asleep. Grace walked over to Keith and checked his temperature, "It's increased a bit." she said to herself as she wrote the information on the datapad. "Commander, what have they done to you?" She continued talking to herself as she shook her head.

VVVVVVVVVVV

Starr walked across her new room to her closet and opened it. She smiled brightly at the vast amount of clothing she now possessed. She had done well...extremely well. The woman had landed the highest position any woman could have ever gained on Doom and soon a very good looking man as well. Power and wealth; everything she had ever wanted in life, Starr now had. _Things couldn't be any brighter in this place filled of darkness._

This was the kind of life Starr wanted…not exactly the place, but she couldn't have asked for anything better under her conditions. It was certainly better than living on her now destroyed world or below the inner levels of castle Doom, waiting to see which guard would take advantage of her on any particular evening.

The blonde woman looked around her room. She had one of the largest rooms in the castle, a dresser full of jewelry with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds...she had it all. Starr's smile dimmed a bit. _No, this is better_, she thought. This was survival. She did it all to distance herself from a would be life filled with emptiness; a life where she'd be worth nothing but a piece of property to be used night after night by any Drule within the castle. Once they tired of her, they'd kill her and her life would have been meaningless. _Working for Zarkon is better, and if I have a chance to upgrade my status a bit along the way...well, why shouldn't I?_

The sound of someone knocking at her door disrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she ordered in a regal voice.

Within moments, a young woman walked in bringing a tray of fruits and some wine. The young girl's eyes widen with surprise. "Angie?" She asked mesmerized at seeing the blonde now wearing one of the most beautiful nightgowns she had ever seen. "What...what are you doing here? Are you serving someone tonight?"

Starr smiled at her former friend's surprise, "Serving someone? Oh no, my dear. This is my room. I found a better place Hanja, somewhere better than the confines of the lower levels."

"Angie," the young girl began, realizing that her friend had just sold her soul to the devil incarnate, "Don't do this, Zarkon can make you believe a lot of things, but in the end, you know that he thinks nothing more of you than what you really are...a slave."

"Shut up!" Starr's voice rose. "Don't you _ever_ call me that name again! Angie, is dead. You will begin calling me by my new title, Princess Starr of Doom."

"Good God woman, have you gone crazy?" The young girl exclaimed. "What have they done to you?"

"They've done nothing, Hanja. You've known I've always wanted this and I have it now. If you want to live being fucked every night by the guards or any other sick, demented bastard that tries to lay his hand on you, that's your problem. I will not live like that any longer."

"So you'd rather sleep with Zarkon?"

"No…his son." Starr smiled.

"Lotor? I heard he was vanished."

Starr walked up to the platter of fruits and took a vine of grapes. Then, she walked over to her bed, jumped on the soft large mattress and began plucking the grapes from the vine, one at a time. She savored every piece she put in her mouth, while mocking her friend. "He was. I'm talking about his _other_ son."

The young girl gave her a questionable look, "What other son?"

At this Starr's smile grew, "You are dismissed Hanja." She ordered her as she signaled the girl to leave.

Hanja shook her head at the other woman and promptly left. Starr laughed aloud once she left. How much fun was it going to be when they found out what Zarkon was up to.

VVVVVVVVVV

The taxi dropped her off at the entrance of the base. Quickly, Maryann scurried along and found where her cruiser was stationed and immediately found her pilot. The man she saw looked to be in his mid-fifties, with salt and pepper hair. He was looking over the aircraft, possibly checking all systems before taking off.

"Sergeant William Tadacks?" Maryann asked as she put her bag down.

"You must be Dr. Marseilles." He answered with a smile, "Yes, I'm Tadacks."

Nodding, Maryann offered a small smile, "It's nice to meet you Sergeant. I hate to hurry you along, but I really need to leave as soon as possible. Do you know when we'll be able to do that?"

Tadacks looked at the datapad he held in his hand. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready for takeoff Doc."

"Perfect." She smiled.

"You must be in a big hurry to get to Arus." he asked a bit curiously.

"You have no idea sergeant, you have absolutely no idea."

VVVVVVVVVV

The princess looked around the ballroom and saw it filled with invited guests. The princes from the distant planets Coran had invited stood around, speaking to each other and the princesses giggled and danced around the ballroom with their respected partners. Allura looked down and realized that she too was dressed in the same ball gown she had worn the night of her eighteenth birthday.

She thought she'd gone back in time. Everything that had happened after her party hadn't happened at all and happiness enveloped her. Allura looked around and saw Keith walking out to the balcony. This was her chance to undo all the events of that night. She ran towards the balcony and opened the doors. He turned around and looked at her. Seeing him standing there, looking like himself, brought a smile to her face.

"Keith," she called out to him. However, within seconds, she felt a force pass through her and then saw another version of herself walk toward Keith.

"_Hey you," Allura heard herself say. _

_"Hey you," she heard Keith answer her back softly. "I'm sorry I took you out of your party." _

Allura saw herself repeat the same words she told him that night and she desperately tried to stop her other self from doing it. She couldn't. The moment she dreaded was arriving slowly, and she found herself yelling at her other self to stop it.

"_Allura, I…you're my best friend. I mean, Lance is my best friend too, but you're a different kind of best friend..."_

"No! Stop! Keith, don't listen to me!" she begged as she looked at him.

"_I've been preparing this speech and what I've wanted to tell you for almost a year and now nothing's making sense."_

Allura turned to herself, "Stop it! Don't tell him anything. It's not true, it's not true!"

_"Listen Allura, I'm just going to come out and say it. Since the day I met you, I've felt something in my heart that I couldn't explain for a while; but soon I figured out I felt happiness." _

Allura saw Keith take the other Allura's hand within both of his, _"Allura, I know so much about you. I know when you're mad, your nose wrinkles ever so slightly. When you smile, your eyes brighten; sometimes they even turning a shade lighter depending on what you are happy about."_

She tried to break them apart, but she was like a ghost to them, transparent, invisible. "Don't, don't say it!" Allura begged her alternate self.

"_You hum whenever you're concentrating on something. You play with your hair whenever you're nervous. You only cry when you think people aren't looking. What I am trying to tell you is that…I feel happy and alive when I'm with you."_

"Please! PLEASE!"

_I feel…so happy my Princess. Allura, I love you. I think I've always loved you. I know I have nothing to offer you, but what I'm asking is…"_

_"Stop," her voice suddenly shook with emotion._

He looked at her surprised. With her feelings exposed on her face, he immediately knew what would come next and let go of her hand. Now the ghost that was Princess Allura saw the immediate pain Keith felt, and her own heart ached along side of his.

"Keith, please don't listen, don't listen to me!" Allura cried.

_"Keith…I love you too, I do. But…we've been friends for such a long time. You're my best friend...I couldn't…"_

_"Jeopardize our friendship?" He quietly finished for her._

The princess begged her alternate self to stop, but found her pleas unanswered. Then, she turned and saw Keith's hopes destroyed as she looked into his eyes. She watched him bow at her alternate self and walk out of the balcony.

The princess stormed out of the balcony, leaving her alternate self behind.

"Keith!" she screamed. "Keith! Stop!"

The commander continued walking, unable to hear her voice. The music inside the ballroom continued playing, the guests continued dancing, and Keith continued walking.

"Damn it Keith! STOP!"

Suddenly the music stopped and all of the guests stared back at Allura. She looked around, noticing those looking at her and then her gaze stop on Keith, who stared back at her in question.

"Keith!" She ran up to him, "I…I have so much to tell you."

The commander looked back at her without saying a word.

"Keith, I…" Suddenly, the ballroom ignited with a bright white light. All the guests looked up just as Keith and Allura did. Voices, echoed around the room, but the princess couldn't make out the words. As the voices grew louder, the white light surrounded the princess and as she stared back at Keith, he slowly began to disappear…

VVVVVVVVVV

Allura awoke, startled, by the loud voices around her. At first, she wasn't aware of where she was, she must have been deeply asleep, but soon the sound of the voices began to increase and Allura realized that she wasn't in the ballroom anymore. Reality hit and she knew…Medtech was the reality.

"Grace! Get the cold blankets, now!" She heard Gorma's voice yell.

Allura rose from the cot she had been sleeping on. She realized the commotion taking place around her as she watched Gorma hold down Keith by his chest; a couple of other nurses held his legs. Keith seemed like he was shaking very hard.

"Grace!" Gorma yelled, "Bring the blankets now…damn it, now!"

Immediately, the princess stood up and ran toward the bed, helping Gorma hold Keith down. The commander's eyes slid open; he stared at nothing, but Allura saw the pain he had to be experience. "What's happening to him?"

"He's convulsing!"

Seconds later Grace ran in with the blankets, opened one up and with the other nurses, along with Gorma and Allura, helped her put it on him. Quickly, Grace keyed in a code on a pad hanging from the side of the blanket and the Allura suddenly felt her hands grow cold.

"Keep holding him down Princess. The convulsions will stop once his temperature begins to drop." Gorma told her as he gazed into her fright stricken eyes. Allura then watched as the nurses opened the other blankets and quickly repeated the procedure.

Minutes later, Keith calmed down. The violent shakes slowed down to a slight trembling and he closed his eyes once again. The blankets felt as cold as ice to the princess. After Dr. Gorma checked to Keith's vitals and saw his temperature cool, he dismissed the nurses and turned to the princess.

"Whatever Zarkon is doing to Keith, it is basically killing him." He sighed. "I believe that there is something inside his body that is causing it to react this way. His temperature spiked high enough to cause him to have a seizure; the next step could have been death."

"What do we do know?" She asked, frightened by what the answer might be.

"As long as we keep his body temperature low, he should remain the same for now."

"Not better?"

Gorma shook his head; "I'm sorry." he answered and then saw Allura turn toward the door. "Where are you going Princess?"

Allura turned and stared at the figure in bed for a moment. Keith was soaked in sweat, as if he would have dived into a pool. She needed answers and Zarkon would give them to her. "Where else? I need to contact Zarkon."


	19. Chapter 19

Hi Everyone! Hectic two weeks, but here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Thank you as always!

"_To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the __**enemy**__'s resistance without fighting.__"_Sun Tzu

19. Darkness Rises

Allura ran into the control room and headed to the communication console. She began keying in the codes when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.

"Allura, what are you doing?" Sven's voice marked a tone of question.

Without turning around, she answered swiftly, "I'm about to contact Zarkon. His plan is failing and he's going to have to find another way to take Keith away from us, but not this." Her voice began cracking, "Not this…he's killing him."

Lance, who had walked in with Sven, reached for the console and quickly pressed the disconnection button, "You won't contact him Princess." He ordered, "That's exactly what he wants."

Turning to him abruptly, Allura's eyes filled with hot tears. Lance noticed the small droplets rolling down her cheeks and the defiant look on her face, "What do you mean what he wants? Does he want him dead? Because that's what he's doing Lance, he's killing him!"

Sven looked at her tenderly, as if trying to make her understand, "If we show any weakness at this point, he'll know he's won. We can't allow that."

"He's dying Sven! He almost died right now!" Allura cried out in desperation.

Watching the princess succumb to panic, Lance immediately hugged her. Allura held tightly to him as she let herself go, "You don't understand...he almost died right now! I can't lose him...I can't."

"You won't lose him Allura." Lance replied as he stroked her hair, "You won't."

VVVVVVVVVV

Zarkon stood in front of the vidscreen in his control room. Notified by one of his Intel experts that a connection from Arus was entering, he walked up proudly and awaited the incoming transmission. Then, it ceased within seconds of coming in. The king found himself tempted to contact them, but instead, he thought about it.

_They still have no idea what's happening to him._

"Sire, would you like to establish a connection with Arus?" one of his experts inquired.

"No, let it be." Zarkon answered as the doors of his control room opened. He turned and watched Cossack walk in. "What's happening?" he asked knowing that his first officer had news in regards to his own assignment.

"I've been monitoring that Dr. Marseilles just as you've ordered. Today, she left on a transport from the Garrison for Arus. I think she suspects..."

Shaking his head, Zarkon stated, "She doesn't suspect; she knows. I think it's time to bring in the good doctor. I won't allow her to ruin my plans. Bring her to me, take Starr to help you."

"As you wish, your Majesty." Cossack bowed before exiting the control room.

Turning to the officer that had spoken to him previously the king ordered, "Connect me to Haggar."

Within minutes, the old witch came up on the screen, "Yes Zarkon?"

"Give me a status on the Commander."

"He's entered the third and final phase, but that Arusian doctor seems to want to stall the process. The longer he stalls it, the longer we'll wait for him."

"Hmmm...I think it is time to bring my son home." Zarkon mused. "Haggar, take a robeast with you and make sure you succeed."

"As you wish Sire." She nodded once before the connection ceased.

VVVVVVVVVV

Two days…he hadn't realized what a hard piece of rock his planet was. The days blazed with heat and the winds around him burned his skin as he fought the gusts that prevented him from continuing on his path. The nights formed an endless fog of ice; Lotor's teeth rattled to no end as the coldness of the planet penetrated the former prince's bones.

He and Danner had made significant advances as they headed back to castle Doom, but they were still too far away. Lotor looked at the scorching suns of Doom with disdain. The birds flew around them, waiting for either of them to fall to the ground. The prince noticed how they patiently waited for him to expire. The birds had the gift of patience; a gift forgotten by the gods that created him.

'_What the hell is father up to?' _he thought as he continued on his journey. Lotor turned his gaze to the old man who kept walking in front of him. He was also surprised that Danner kept up with him; the feeble man looked like a walking skeleton waiting to fall apart.

"Your Highness, we must keep moving." Danner ordered as he looked back over his shoulder.

"I know!" Lotor barked as he wiped the sweat off his face. "How much farther is it?"

Danner continued walking, "A lot farther, Highness. I do not believe that we are anywhere close. A long journey awaits us before we will reach the castle."

Shaking his head in frustration, Lotor continued walking. "Let's keep moving."

Nodding, Danner followed orders. "We need to keep heading east. There are some caves we can use to sleep in during night fall." The old man looked up to the red skies, "There's a cold front coming tonight. I expect that tonight will be extremely cold Sire. We are going to need to get in those caves as soon as possible."

As they continued walking, the men saw a wild Doomian beast run ahead of them.

"Danner…"

"Yes?"

"Are those…edible?"

"Cave boars? I believe that they eat insects and whatever plant life the planet bears…"

Frustrated, Lotor growled, "ARE THEY EDIBLE? I will not eat another fucking bird. They taste like shit!"

"Yes!" Danner nervously answered, "I'm not sure if they taste any better. I've never met anyone who's caught one. They are pretty fast."

Smiling, Lotor surveyed where the animal headed. It ran into a small crater. "Well, Danner. You are about to meet the first one."

VVVVVVVVV

"Sergeant Tadacks, how far away are we from Arus at this point?" Maryann asked as she walked up to the co-pilot's chair of the cruiser and sat down next to him.

"Well, Doctor, we are still a couple of hours away. I'm going as fast as I can," he smiled sympathetically. "Why the hurry, if I may ask?"

Maryann sighed. She looked ahead at the dark space ahead of her, the vast black space that seemed never ending. "It's actually confidential."

"Ahh..." he answered nodding in understanding.

"All I can tell you is that it deals with Zarkon and I need the help of the Voltron Force."

The sergeant smiled, "That I knew the moment I found out we were flying to Arus."

She rolled her eyes up and a small smile formed on her lips, "Well...yes."

"Don't worry," Tadacks continued, "If there is anyone that can help, it's them." The older man no sooner finished his statement when the cruiser began to shake.

"What's that?" Maryann yelled.

"We've been hit!" Tadacks answered. "Someone's attacking us."

"No!" Maryann yelled again as she saw the screen ahead. Two fighters flew right behind them and they continued shooting, showing no signs of stopping.

"One of my engines is down! We are going to have to crash land. Hold on tight!" Tadacks pulled his steering upward as he headed toward the closest planet he could land. Pressing a button to his communicator he began, "Tadacks to Garrison field 90, requesting help. I am under attack, I repeat; I am under attack, sending in coordinates now."

"What do we do now?" Maryann turned to look at her pilot's face, who looked beyond worried after hearing no response from the Garrison.

Without looking to her, Tadacks kept his gaze ahead, "Pray!"

VVVVVVVVVV

Having left the control room, Sven, Lance and Allura walked into Keith's room at MedTech. Allura held Lance's hand tightly as they walked up to the bed. They saw him and cringed. Keith's face was so pale; it looked as if all life had drain away from him. The only color left lied on his lips, which seemed painted in blue. Grace continued checking his vitals and writing down her observations on a datapad. Keith trembled and gasped lightly every once in a while. The lids of his eyes were closed, but they all noticed the flurry of movement under them.

"Grace," Allura began.

The nurse shook her head, "Nothing Princess," she told her regretfully.

"Why are his eyes moving?" Sven questioned as he studied Keith more.

Grace looked down and studied him for a moment, "He's probably dreaming. That type of movement under the lids usually occurs when a person is dreaming."

"What are we going to do?" Allura now asked as she held Lance's hand a bit tighter, "I mean, how much longer can he survive like this?"

"Have faith, Allura." Sven consoled her, "As soon as that body scan comes back with results, we'll see what is wrong with him and then Dr. Gorma can help him."

Allura let go of Lance's hand and walked over to Keith. She kissed his forehead tenderly. "He's so cold."

"We need to keep his temperature low Princess." Grace told her.

"Allura, why don't you rest for a bit? Go eat something; I'm sure you haven't had anything in a while." Lance suggested, "We'll stay with him."

She shook her head, "No...I need to stay with him."

"Allura..." Sven sighed,

"No," she turned and gazed at Sven a bit defiantly, "I'm staying with him. Do you think he'd leave my side, if the roles were reversed?"

"Well, how about some lunch? It's almost time anyway. Have some lunch and then come back." Lance jumped in as a way to calm her down.

She shook her head again, "If you want, I'll have Nanny send me lunch here, but I'm not leaving his side."

Lance rolled his eyes, "You two are made for each other, you're both stubborn as hell."

At this, she laughed and he and Sven smiled, "You think so? We are made for each other?" Allura asked.

"We're sure of it." Sven answered her. An understanding formed between the three of them and with those simple questions, Allura told them exactly what she felt for their commander.

Lance turned to see Grace smile a bit even though she kept her attention on the datapad.

Suddenly, a violent shake around them broke the otherwise tender moment. The three of them looked around. "Zarkon!" Lance shouted. "Come on! We have to get to our lions!"

All three ran out of the room, but Allura quickly turned back, "Grace!"

"Go Princess, I'm not leaving his side!" Grace answered and it was then that the nurse fully knew her suspicions were in reality, fact.


	20. Chapter 20

Welcome to Chapter 20! It's been a very busy two weeks. Hope you guys like this one. As always, thank you so much for your encouragement and well wishes! Enjoy!

Chapter 20: The Window of Opportunity Closes

"_Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so.__"_ Doris Lessing

As they crash onto one of the moons located by the Ruby Star System, Sergeant Tadacks tried desperately to land without damaging anymore of the ship's systems. Maryann hit her head against the head cushion of her chair. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck as the ship struck with a hard thud against the rocky ground. She considered herself lucky once she opened her eyes; it could have been much worse.

"Sergeant, are you alright?" She asked as she turned around to face the pilot.

"Barely," he replied as he shook his head to push away the stars appearing in the front of his eyes. "I need to continue trying to reach Garrison." Tadacks commenced to punch in the codes to the computer. After a couple of failed attempts, he grunted in frustration. "We need to leave. Run for cover somewhere," he told her as he stood up from his chair and headed to the back of the ship. "Now, Doctor! They'll be here at any moment."

She quickly nodded and stood up as well, following him. "Can we breathe out there?"

"I'm not sure. I have oxygen tanks and anti-gravity suits as well." He answered as he opened a compartment in the back of the ship and handed her an oxygen mask. "Put this on."

Maryann quickly did as ordered. The sergeant took a step ahead of her and looked over at the window on the door, "Looks like no one's out there yet. We better hurry up though."

She nodded again, unsure of where he was going to take her. "What about the suits?"

Tadacks shook his head, "There are parts of the ships scattered everywhere and they're not floating around, this place has gravity. We have to go. On my signal, I'll open the door and we'll both quickly head out"

"Ok."

"One...two...three!" he opened the hatch and once he did, Cossack made an abrupt entrance. Maryann screamed as the Drule took out his weapon and fired into Tadack's face. The beam broke through the mask's glass, killing the man instantly. The sergeant fell to the floor and he knew no more. Maryann screamed and attempted to run, but Cossack held her by her hair.

"Just where do you think you are going Doctor? Don't you know? Zarkon has requested your services."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" She hollered.

"I beg to differ Maryann." The doctor heard a female voice now. _'I know that voice!'_ she thought as she watched the blonde woman walk into the ship, "You!"

Starr smiled, "Hello Doctor. Nice to see you again." She pleasantly greeted her then hit Maryann. "You don't have to worry about oxygen, the Rutger moons are one of those rare anomalies where living things can survive without the assistance of oxygen tanks." She concluded as the doctor briefly noticed that the other woman had no mask on her.

Cossack let his captive go, long enough for Starr to take off the doctor's mask.

"There, see. You can breathe." The blonde woman smiled cryptically.

Maryann stared cautiously at the woman standing in front of her, "What have you done with my chips?"

"That should be the least of your worries, Maryann." Starr replied waving her hand. "Your question should be, what is Zarkon planning to do with you?"

The doctor attempted to run, but her efforts were worthless. Cossack grabbed her once again as she began to break away from him. "Let me go!" She screamed. The Drule held her tighter, laughing at her futile attempts.

Tired of the pathetic display brought on by the other woman, Starr retrieved the weapon from her holster and then hit Maryann across the head, knocking her out immediately.

Once out, Cossack lifted her up, "You should have waited a bit longer; I was actually having a bit of fun watching her attempt to escape."

The woman snorted. "We don't have time for this. Take her to the ship, Zarkon will be expecting a report soon." She finished as she turned around walked out of the craft.

"What should we do with him?" Cossack hollered as he gestured toward the fallen Garrison officer.

"Leave him." Starr yelled. "We'll blast the ship once we're in the air."

VVVVVVVVVV

As Allura, Lance and Sven headed to their lions, two Doom ships entered Arus airspace at the same time as another large cruiser launched three laser blasts at the castle. The lions quickly left their respective lairs almost immediately after the first wave of attacks began at the castle. Yellow and Green arrived first and began attacking the cruiser, taking it as far away from the castle as possible. The two continued attacking and moments later the large cruiser exploded in the air.

The other three lions, which arrived seconds after the first two, faced the other two ships blocking them from further entry. Lance immediately began to connect with the enemy aircrafts, "This is Lieutenant Lance McClain, and we are giving you a fair warning. Leave Arus and we will not attack."

The two ships responded with silence. Lance connected to Black and Blue through the private line, "What the hell do you think they are planning?"

"I don't know." Sven answered back, "My guess, they're probably here for Keith."

Allura jumped, "No! We can't let them take him!"

"We won't," Sven firmly stated, "Pidge, Hunk, did you destroy the ship?"

"Affirmative," Hunk immediately answered, "Ship's destroyed. We're on our way to help you."

"Hurry," Lance ordered. He felt something wrong with the entire scene and suspected foul play would happen soon.

"Why?" Pidge joined in, "What's going on?"

"They just released their robeast!" Lance grunted as he saw the coffin emerge from one of the ships; his suspicions weren't over however. He pulled up Pidge and Hunk on the vidscreen. "Hurry your asses! This one is one huge mother..." He didn't finish his sentence as he heard the loud ferocious roar of the large beast.

VVVVVVVVVV

Haggar laughed as she opened the small pod that landed near the castle. The diversion worked. The lions destroyed the ship that attacked the castle and just as it blew, she escaped in a pod invisible by radar and sight. Her cloaking device had worked. Soon the lions would be too preoccupied with the robeast to notice that she would enter the castle to retrieve the commander and take him to his rightful place.

The witch looked around to see if there were any bystanders she would need to destroy as she stepped out of her pod. Haggar found none. Then, she lifted her staff, "nrut'em rehciht naht riah!" Immediately she turned into a thick white mist and headed for the castle.

VVVVVVVVVV

Maryann woke up and found herself tied to the back of the ship. Her head throbbed and she noticed her vision slightly blurry, but almost immediately knew she wasn't on the original ship she had traveled on hours earlier. Arus, to her, seemed farther and farther away.

"I'm glad to see you are well Doctor. I was quite worried I hit you too hard." She heard the voice taunt her.

"Who are you really?" Maryann questioned as her focus finally cleared and she saw the blonde woman tower over her, "Other than a screwed up bitch of course!"

Starr laughed at the last remark, "I never thought you'd use language like that! I underestimated you Doctor. I guarantee it won't happen again."

"Where are you taking me?"

Starr turned around as Cossack continued to look ahead to his path, "Let's just say, Doctor, that you've been reassigned. You are no longer a member of the Garrison; you now belong to the Drule Empire."

Maryann's mouth went dry, her eyes widened, and she gasped. She wanted to tell Starr so many things, but found that she suddenly had no voice.

"Don't look so surprised Maryann. We are in desperate need of someone who will not only take care of providing us with her smarts, but also, someone who will take care of our prince should your assistance be needed for him."

"What?" Maryann asked in confusion.

"You'll find out soon enough." Starr answered, turning around and leaving Maryann more confused than ever.

Moments later, Starr came back holding what looked like a glass. "Drink" she ordered.

"What is it?"

The woman, "You'll find out soon enough." She retrieved the blaster from her holster. "I suggest you drink."

Maryann did as told and within seconds, her eyes began to feel heavy and her vision began to blur once again, "What…what is this?"

"Just something to help you relax; Zarkon would like to speak to you." She saw the blonde woman smile as her world darkened once more.

VVVVVVVVVV

The beastly looking thing had two heads, both shaped like boars; its body sculptured as a large man made of rocks. The sound emitting from its growls took the team by surprise. It blasted their ears; its pitch would surely scare the people in the villages. Allura didn't doubt that some of her people would run to the caves once again after hearing the high pitch squeals and growls of the beast.

"Stingray missiles!" Sven shouted as he tried to hit the monstrosity in front of him in the mouth to silence its screams. The beast turned and evaded the missiles then turned toward black again and launched two fireballs that emanated from its hands, trying to hit black fiercely. It missed.

"What the hell!" Lance pointed out. "This thing hits like a girl!"

Sven studied the beast carefully. For the monster that it seemed, it didn't attack as aggressively as the others he previously encountered. _Why isn't it attacking us the way it should?_ He continued asking himself. Suspecting, he connected to Control. "Coran, is there anywhere else around the planet that Zarkon or Lotor might be right now? I have a feeling this is a diversion."

"No," Coran answered. "I ran a surveillance scan. This is the only location under attack at this point."

"Has anything or anyone infiltrated the castle?" Sven continued his questioning.

"No, no breach as of this moment, Lieutenant."

'_Damn!'_ he thought. _They're up to something…_

VVVVVVVVVV

From a vent right above the castle ceiling, a clear white mist blew out with such grace that even the guards walking below it did not notice. The haze travelled down the corridors looking, seeing, aware of where it headed.

Down the hall it flew, faster and faster. As it passed the control room, it glanced to see the royal advisor and the blonde princess who temporarily stayed at Doom for quite some time before the tall, dark-haired, former Voltron Force member saved her.

The mist passed the security offices with ease, then an entertainment room and other doors that were closed at the time. It could not afford to look at what those doors held; but there would be time soon enough, once her mission ended.

Then the mist turned into another wing of the castle. It flew into the location it sought. A doctor walked out of the doors the mist wanted to go into. As the doors opened, it took the opportunity and flew in.

Suddenly, the haze saw the amount of nurses and staff walking around the area and it immediately expanded, filling the room with its entire essence.

Haggar watched as the staff began to cough and fall to the floor one by one until no one walked or spoke anymore. Slowly, she began to contract and lower herself to the floor. The witch slowly re-shaped herself into her natural form. Her hands began to come out of the cloak; one hand held what began to look like a staff and then from within the cloak, bright yellow eyes began to glow.

VVVVVVVVVV

Maryann's hands were cuffed as she walked down the hallways of Castle Doom. Dry blood from the blow that Starr gave her earlier graced the side of her face. She still felt dizzy from the effects of the drink Starr had given her earlier. Behind her, Starr and Cossack followed, eyeing every move she made. All three entered the throne room where she was greeted by Zarkon himself, standing at the top of the steps of his throne. As she walked closer, she noticed that it wasn't the king himself, but a holographic image of him speaking to her, _'Where the hell is he?'_

"Dr. Marseilles, thank you for joining us."

Her French accent fully intensified she answered him with such disdain in her voice that it actually made him smile, "This was a rather forced invitation Zarkon, but let me tell you something, if you think I will help you in any way, you are wrong! I will never give up my allegiance to the Garrison or the Alliance!"

"I'm not asking you to give up anything, my dear. As a matter of fact, I could care less where your allegiance lies. It won't matter after I'm done with you."

She stared at him defiantly, but never showed him any sign of weakness or fright. She stood her ground. _'Good'_ he thought. _'Another strong one, this is coming out better than I ever imagined.'_

"What are you planning Zarkon? You do know that, at the end, Voltron will defeat you."

The king smiled at her and he noticed that his lack of anger at her words ended up disturbing her rather than him. He was so eager to tell her everything, but he knew all in good time, that, and he wanted her to be as surprised as everyone else would be when the time came. Instead, he looked at Starr, "Show her to her quarters, I'm sure the good doctor needs some rest. Have someone attend to her wound."


	21. Chapter 21

_Watch your thoughts, for they become words.  
Watch your words, for they become actions.  
Watch your actions, for they become habits.  
Watch your habits, for they become character.  
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.__ Anonymous_

Chapter 21: The Dark Rises

As the battle outside the castle walls continued, Pidge studied the beast in front of him. He ran multiple scans desperately trying to find whatever the beast hid. No matter how many times the lions attacked, the robeast for some reason would not fight back. _It's as if it doesn't want to hurt the lions for any reason. Why? _Pidge asked himself.

"Pidge, anything?" Sven's voice shook in frustration.

"Nothing, Sven," Pidge answered with the same tone of frustration as he looked at the scans showing negative readings. The pilot continued searching for any special weaponry the beast hid; he found nothing. "This thing is not packing anything we should watch out for."

Sven thought deeply. The Drules were stalling them. _What for?_ He didn't know. Then, a thought crossed his mind, but it was immediately sliced away by a sudden move from the robeast.

The monster turned, as if it was ordered to do so and began heading into the closest village by the castle.

"Fucking thing is heading to Anialis!" Hunk yelled out. "The orphanage is close by!"

"Follow it," Sven ordered.

"But, Sven…the castle," Allura countered. "What if they want him?"

"Coran," Sven switched the vidscreen and connected to castle control; the image of his beloved popped into view.

"Sven, Coran is running scans on the ships." Romelle told him.

"Romelle, has there been any attempts to infiltrate the castle?" Sven asked.

After checking all security points Romelle looked back at him, "No, love." She answered him, "Nothing."

He managed to wink at her, letting her know he was alright. She, in turn, gave him a small smile, "Be careful Sven."

He nodded before he turned his attention back to his group. "No attempts on the castle. Hunk, Pidge and I will follow this thing. Lance, Allura, protect the castle."

"Right!" Lance immediately answered.

The three lions veered off following the beast. Upon them leaving, the mother ship commenced attacks on the remaining lions. The ship targeted them, but never once did they hit them.

"Allura,"

"Right behind you Lance!" She exclaimed as both lions began to strike back at the large ship.

"This is weird. We are hitting them, but they won't hit us." Lance stated studying the ship. "What the hell are they planning?"

Allura didn't answer, her heart continued pounding. Whatever the Drules planned, it included Keith and she wished she was at his side instead of in the skies.

VVVVVVVVVV

Haggar honed in to Keith's room and within moments upon turning back into her form, she went toward his room. She opened the doors and found a nurse sitting by his side.

The nurse's instincts kicked in almost immediately. When Grace saw the witch, she stood and attempted to press the emergency button by the wall on top of headboard of the bed. Haggar, however, was too fast for Grace. She lifted her staff; aimed and fired a mist that hit the woman with such a shock that she plummeted to the floor with a hard thump.

The witch walked in toward the still figure on the bed. Haggar heard his labored breathing and knew he was in the final stages of the process; soon victory would be hers; she relished the moment.

Outside, the booming of the explosions and the lions flying around the castle, deep in battle, were felt around the castle walls. No one suspected she had infiltrated. She smiled at that victory.

Haggar yanked off the cold blankets that lay on top of Keith and then sat down next to his body, which was still covered by a light blanket. She caressed the commander's pale face with her hard dry callused hand before tucking away the strands of hair that covered his forehead and eyes.

Seconds later, the witch saw the hint of blue from his lips gradually diminish; sweat ran down his face. She lowered her face down to his, whispering in his ear softly, "Stop fighting, Commander, it is time to come home." she gently continued murmuring. "Your father wants to see you."

Hearing those words ignited the process again. Keith breathed even harder, gasping for air. Soon, the lack of air choked him and he started convulsing. He tilted his head back as he gasped for air grasping fistfuls of the white sheet that covered him with his hands. He violently shook and his eyes darted open and rolled back until only the whites showed.

He continued gasping; his jumbled words disappeared into a faint echo.

"There…there." The witch whispered softly as if everything that was happening was natural. "There you go. Don't be afraid. It will be all over soon. It's time for your rebirth." Keith continued convulsing as she eerily played with his hair, caressing his cheek, completely enthralled with his pain. She even found it a bit erotic.

As that happened, he drew what looked like a last breath. He opened his eyes; they were filled with pain and he looked blankly at the ceiling above. Slowly, his eyes dimmed and closed. When his fight ended, Keith slumped into unconsciousness, his hands relaxed above the bed.

"It's over. Finally over." Haggar beamed as she continued playing with his hair.

Keith looked as if he were sleeping peacefully, as if the past events had never happened. She brushed his hair with her hands as he took a deep breath of relaxation. Softly, she whispered, "Awaken soon my Prince, we have much to do."

About ten minutes later, Keith slowly opened his eyes, looking at the dreaded face of Haggar smiling back at him. At one point in his life he would have frightened at looking at that face so close to him; surprisingly, he just gazed at her, studying every feature she held with simple curiosity.

"Welcome my Prince, your father is looking forward to seeing you." she told him, caressing his face.

He looked at her darkly, took a deep breath, and offered her a menacing smile.

VVVVVVVVVV

Maryann paced around the room thinking of a way to escape. Never did she think she'd end up at Castle Doom. _What's he up to?_ She questioned.

As promised by Zarkon, her wounds were tended by some slave girls. When she asked them questions, she found that they just looked at her without an answer. _They're scared to say anything to me. _She thought.

Sighing, she laid in bed. _They have my chips, but what are they planning to do with them?_ Then a thought entered her, _what the hell is he planning with me?_

Her heart began beating faster, whatever Zarkon planned for her; she knew it wouldn't be good. She had to find a way out and fast.

VVVVVVVVVVV

Keith didn't recognize the person he saw in the mirror. It was him, but it wasn't. He felt so free, yet so restrained.

Haggar walked behind him and put on the cape that completed his new uniform. Completely black, the only color on his uniform was the red sash that crossed from the shoulder down to his side. The royal crescent of Doom and various royal metals hung on the right of his chest; his black cape had the royal crest embedded in blood red.

"My Prince, you look so handsome." She told him.

Keith closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, "I'm hurting Haggar." He replied to her, "I feel pain all over my body."

"It will soon go away, Sire. Once you're home, you'll feel fine. Now, you know what you must do to please your father." She ordered.

He nodded. "I know."

He began to walk out when the door opened and he saw Gorma walk in. The doctor's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Keith, first conscious and second, wearing a uniform he didn't recognize.

"Commander!"

"Dr. Gorma," Keith replied with an acid tone and a smile. "I'm feeling much better. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Gorma stepped forward and watched as Haggar stood behind the commander laughing gleefully. Despite his fear, the doctor would not allow Keith to go willingly. "I'm sorry Commander; I cannot let you to leave."

"Do you think you can stop me?" Keith questioned. Gorma saw pure evil in the commander's eyes. This was not the Voltron leader anymore. Zarkon made well on his promise.

"No," Gorma answered uneasily. "But I will not stand here and let you leave when obviously you are not in your correct mindset!"

Keith laughed, "Are you kidding me! I've never felt better." He lied. Keith walked up to the doctor and put his hand on the doctor's shoulder.

"Commander, you are not yourself," Gorma looked at Haggar who just watched, studying the commander's every move. Turning to Keith, the doctor tried to reason with him once more, "Zarkon has done something to you. Please, let me help you."

At the mention of Zarkon, Keith's stiffened, "I don't need help Doctor. Unfortunately, you are another story." He closed his other hand, formed a fist and punched the doctor in the face. Gorma fell unconscious on the floor.

"It's time to go." He simply told Haggar as they walked over the unconscious doctor. Slowly, the witch disappeared into a clear mist, but Keith could still feel her presence around him.

VVVVVVVVVV

Flying once more over the robeast, Sven called out to Control, "We're not getting anywhere! This tin can is not attacking like other robeasts. It looks like it wants to stall us!"

"Stall you?" Romelle called out as she watched the vidscreen showing the robeast by the village. "I think you're right. It just seems to be destroying the nearby towns, but won't lay a finger on any one of you."

"Where is it headed?" Sven yelled as the beast flew up in the air.

Coran punched in some numbers. On the screen, he could see that the robeast floated in midair watching the lions and taking their hits; it wouldn't retaliate. "Is it just going to allow us to attack it?" Hunk asked as he looked incredulously ahead at the beast.

As both Coran and Romelle continued to look, they did not hear the doors of the Control Room open. But, soon they heard the sound of hard steps coming their way. Upon seeing the figure come toward them, Romelle gasped, "Oh, God!"

"I think we can finally put this fight to rest," Keith replied with an unnatural smile. He took out his blaster from his holster and pointed it at Romelle, who stood by the other side of the console. "If you would please get out of the way, I'd like to speak to my team."

Coran began to speak, "Keith, please put the gun down."

"I will not ask again, _move_ Romelle." Keith cut in.

The advisor gently took Romelle's arm and pulled her out slowly, whispering to her, "Do what he wants, it's not Keith anymore."

Keith's dark cold eyes looked both people over, before he turned and began communicating to the team. "Lance, listen to me," he told them rather flatly.

"Keith!" Lance called out excited, not bothering to pay attention to the tone, "How the hell …thank the heavens you're back man, there's chaos running amuck up here."

"Don't worry Lance, it will soon be over," he answered slowly, continuing to look at Romelle and Coran.

"Keith, what's going on?" Allura's voice was then heard from the speakers. A chill rose from her body when she listened to Keith's tone of voice over the com, _it doesn't sound like him._

"Princess Allura, just the person who I want to speak to." Keith answered coolly, "King Zarkon is willing to cease all attacks on Arus immediately… provided you do one thing for him."

"Keith, what are you talking about?"

Laughing a bit, Keith continued, "What I mean, Princess, is simple. The King's ship is opening its loading bay. Zarkon will keep his word, no more attacks on Arus…should you give up the lions."

"Keith, have you gone completely insane!" Hunk exclaimed.

"I suggest you stay focused Hunk." Keith answered with his continuous frigid tone. "I believe it is a perfectly good exchange."

"Keith," Sven now entered in the conversation, "This isn't you. Zarkon has done something to you!"

"Father's done nothing to me!" Keith growled back. "You have twenty seconds to make your decision."

"Keith, we won't give up the lions!" Lance hollered as he came up on the vidscreen. His eyes widen in horror when he saw Keith already dressed in Drule attire.

"You now have ten seconds. Let me make it interesting for all of you." The commander states keeping his eyes on Lance, "if you don't come up with an answer, I will play target practice here with Coran and Romelle."

Lance's eyes widened. "Don't do this man," he begged.

"I'm not doing anything, Lance." Kith stated flatly. "It's your choice. Now you have five seconds." He smiled.

"Keith, look within yourself. This isn't you!" Allura screamed, "Please."

"Five…four…"

"Keith!" Pidge screamed.

"Three…two."

"Damn it Keith!" Sven shouted.

"One." Without hesitation, the commander raised his gun, aimed, and fired.


	22. Chapter 22

_This goes out to my reviewers and those who have put this story on author alerts and story alerts: Once again thank you for your encouragement, wonderful words and kind thoughts. Thank you for making me feel truly appreciated! :) Those of you waiting for the series, I'll be posting story six very soon. Thank you. I'm so lucky to have you all!_

_Here's 22!_

_Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities_. - Voltaire

Chapter 22: The New Prince of Doom

Sven heard Romelle's screams over the com and lost his usual cool and self-control. The traits that made him a leader disappeared in a cloud of despair and anguish. He turned Black Lion around carelessly and headed toward the castle. "Romelle! Romelle! Answer me." He frantically screamed.

"Stop!" Keith yelled back, "Stand down Sven! Do not even _think _about coming back to the castle!"

"You fucking son of a bitch! I will kill you!"

"Sven stay, he didn't shoot Romelle!" Lance yelled at him. "She's ok! Stand down, stand down!"

Through his visuals, Lance could see Romelle's entire body covering Coran's, protecting him from Keith's blaster.

Allura closed her eyes. Her mind suddenly filled with memories of the advisor she saw as a father, _Coran,_ she thought as tears slid down her face, "Keith, please…"

He ignored her pleas and turned back to the screen, looking sternly at Lance, "I'm starting the clock again. Thirty seconds. If you would please look to our mother ship, the doors have already opened to greet you."

Romelle watched how Keith enjoyed the events he set in motion. She couldn't believe what had been done to her friend.

"Now you have twenty seconds." Keith continued his taunting. Lance felt powerless.

"Lance…" Sven pleaded. "We have no choice. He'll kill Romelle."

The Red Lion pilot shook his head in regret. "Fine! You win. Everyone, do what he tells you." He concluded with resignation.

"But Lance…" Hunk yelled.

"Hunk, he will shoot Romelle. He's already shot Coran. Follow the damn orders!"

Keith smiled as he watched the lions flying toward the mother ship. The robeast flew back as well, entering the ship through an alternate entrance. "Thank you for your cooperation team. I'll see you soon." he cut off.

Once the transmission ended, another came in. Knowing who it was, the commander smiled, "Father!" He greeted the king excitedly.

Romelle's eyes widened in horror at the sight in front of her, _Keith just called Zarkon his father?_

"You've done well, my son. You may leave now. All five lions are boarding as we speak. I can't wait to see you. I'm so very proud of what you've accomplished in such short time."

Keith bowed, "Thank you Father."

"I'll see you soon…son." Zarkon stated as the transmission ceased.

Turning, Keith saw Romelle staring back at him. Her eyes, filled with tears, still managed to hold a look of anger.

"It's a shoulder wound. He'll survive." Keith stoically offered, his eyes showing no emotion.

Closing her eyes to gather enough strength, she answered him, "Don't do this to your friends, Keith. Fight what's inside you!"

'_Kill her!'_ he heard a voice echo in his head. Keith knew the voice, _'Kill her!"_

The commander walked toward Romelle and bent down in front of her. Hard eyes stared back at her. For the first time in her life, the princess felt afraid; afraid of someone who she considered a best friend, a brother. Keith took her hand; she closed her eyes, thinking that it was now her turn to be harmed. She quickly re-opened them when she saw what he did next.

"Put your hand on his wound to apply pressure." Keith looked Coran, and a feeling deep inside him emerged. _Guilt?_ He didn't know what that feeling meant for him; it felt strange and wrong. _I shouldn't feel this way. They are the enemy! _Confused, he decided immediately to leave. Keith couldn't have these feelings for the enemy. Romelle stared at him; she thought she saw a brief change, but then, it disappeared and granite eyes once again emerged and watched her closely.

Keith stood up, walked back to the control console and called in to the unit he requested. Soon he heard a voice. "MedTech…here." The man's voice felt dazed and confused.

"You are needed at the Control Room. The Royal Advisor has been shot."

"We'll be there…something…something is going on here as well." He heard the voice reply. "I'll send some help."

He turned again to Romelle, "Keep applying pressure until they arrive." He told her as he began to walk out the door.

"Keith!" She cried out. He turned and looked back at her. "Whatever is inside you, hasn't completely taken over. Fight it! You are not the person you think you are! You belong with us!"

Keith stared at her a moment later before he walked out and disappeared from sight.

VVVVVVVVVV

All five pilots slowly emerged from their lions. Drule soldiers greeted them with weapons on hand, ready to attack should they encounter resistance from them. A Drulian commander soon appeared in front of them with a smirk on his face. "All weapons on the floor!" He demanded upon meeting them.

They did as ordered and the rest of the guards soon approached them to retrieve the weapons. Moments later, Zarkon appeared with a smile on his face, "Voltron Force, I'm extremely happy to see you all, welcome to my ship."

None of them answered as they stared at the king. Sven and Lance discreetly looked around the ship, trying to find an escape.

"Don't even think about it." Zarkon immediately replied to the pair. "If you try to escape, you won't go very far…and if you are waiting to escape after your esteemed commander arrives, I'll kill him on site."

Allura's eyes snapped opened, "You wouldn't."

Zarkon bluffed, "I've already manipulated him and have the lions under my possession. Don't get me wrong, he's an asset to me, but if I have to, I'll do it. Would you like to risk it?"

He watched as a look of resignation entered their eyes. _They won't try anything_.

"I take it our accommodations will take place on Doom?" Lance asked sarcastically.

Nodding in agreement, Zarkon continued, "You are very smart Lieutenant. We'll arrive there very soon."

Lance noticed the Drulian commander take out his communication device and answer it in Drulian language. He walked toward Zarkon and spoke to him quietly.

The king's eyes lit up. "Perfect! Take him to the control room. I'll meet him there." He turned to the rest of the group. "Take our guests to the holding cell. Except for the princess, I'd like to have a word with her. Princess Allura, please follow me."

Allura took a step forward and looked at her friends' with worried eyes. Lance mouthed, _Be careful_. She nodded. Slowly, the princess took a step forward, two guards stepped by her side. The rest of the force was guided to another door, led by the rest of the guards.

"Don't worry Princess. No harm will come to them. Of course, that depends on how YOU behave." Zarkon concluded, smiling.

VVVVVVVVVV

When Allura walked into the bridge of the craft, she let out a loud gasp when she saw the person in front of her. "Oh my God…" the princess whispered under her breath. "Keith?"

He bowed at the sight of both of them. "Your Majesty, your Highness."

"You don't have to bow for us my son. After all, you are as much royalty as we are." Zarkon stated, amused. "You did a fine job today, son."

"Thank you Father." Keith nodded, exhilarated by his words.

Allura turned to Zarkon, "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do much. Believe it or not, this was the Garrison's doing. I just…borrowed their creation."

Keith looked at them questionably.

"The princess has some concerns only I can answer, son. Do not worry about them." Zarkon replied.

The new prince nodded and dismissed any further thought.

Bewildered, Allura asked, "What do you mean? Garrison did this?" When she received no answer from the king, she turned to Keith and walked up to him.

"Keith," she cupped his cheeks with both of her hands, "Listen to me…this…this is not right. This isn't you! He's not who you think he is…he's done something to you!"

He looked at her with a cold stare. Then he took her hands within his and gently pulled them away from his face. "You should listen to what we can offer you." He told her as he let go of one hand and caressed her cheek. "I will take care of you." Keith didn't understand what possessed him to tell her that at the moment, but to him, it felt right.

Zarkon was amused by all this as he continued studying the pair.

Patience dwindling, Allura pulled back, "Please…help me!" she choked.

"I am…" he countered. "Both Father and I are here to help you Princess." He finished with a smile.

A bit satisfied, the king walked up to them, "Come with me Princess, I have a proposition for you." Zarkon took her gently by the arm and the three walked to another room within the ship's bridge. It was a conference room and they each took a seat.

Allura sighed, but her gaze continued falling on Keith. _I can't lose him._ She thought _I won't_. She turned to Zarkon, "What do you want?"

"You have a choice. Ally yourself with Doom and fly Voltron under my command. I'll even have you marry my esteemed son over here."

"No way in hell!"

"So you deny my son or my proposition?" Zarkon raised his eyebrow. He then watched the prince's reaction. "It looked to me back there that you care for my son."

At this Keith looked down. He closes his eyes briefly as flashes of the past began to fill his head. When the episode ended, Keith looked up at her, "She has…denied me before." Allura thought she saw pain in his eyes.

Zarkon looked at both of them; _he has memories of his past. _The king didn't like that; not one bit. He'd have to check with Haggar. _The chip should not allow the prince to remember his past._ He continued studying him, "Son, are you in love with the Princess of Arus?"

Keith thought for a moment then coldly, answered, "Yes."

Allura closed her eyes.

_This will pose a problem. _Zarkon thought as he looked at the pair. His plan included making sure the entire Voltron Force would be under his command; that included mind and body. The prince was, in a way, his guinea pig. _If he still has his memories of the princess, I'll need to dispose of her. I can't have this glitch interfere with my plans_. Not wanting anything to divert his plan, he needed to solve this minor detail that could somehow cause a problem in the future; not only for his son, but for his new soldiers as well.

Again, Zarkon asked, "So, you deny my son Princess?"

Hesitantly, she nodded, "I will not ally myself with Doom."

Zarkon smiled, _Perfect_ he thought. Her answer was exactly what he needed to go on with the next plan. He looked at the prince, who glared at the princess, anger piercing his eyes. Zarkon once again, smiled.

VVVVVVVVVV

Romelle sat by the advisor's bedside, watching him sleep. It had been hours since Coran came out of surgery but he still hadn't awaken. She sighed. Her mind continued to go through the last couple of hours, trying to understand what had occurred. The team had been taken hours ago. She had tried to reach the lions, to no avail. _Oh Sven, I hope you are safe._ Romelle thought as she continued her vigilance over Coran.

Her brief thoughts were interrupted by some low moans coming from the bed. She looked down and saw Coran's eyes open. He looked around and became aware of where he was.

"Did he take them?"

Romelle nodded sadly, as tears began to fall. Coran swallowed hard. "They are most likely heading to Doom." he paused, gathering his strength, "We must be patient. They will find their way back."

"Are you sure?" She whispered.

He nodded gently. "And so will Keith."

"Coran," She slowly asked, "How can you…"

"They are stronger than what you believe, Romelle. They will find their way back. We must believe." He took a deep breath then fell back asleep.

When she saw that Coran had once again lost consciousness, she stood up and walked out of his room. _Coran...I hope you are right._

VVVVVVVVVV

They arrived on Doom at what they believe was late at night, although on Doom, night seemed to be always present. The guards took the group outside the ship and they headed toward the castle. Allura had been brought back to them as promised. They had been separated into different cells, as requested by Keith. None of them had been able to speak to each other during the flight. _He's using all his tactics against us,_ Allura thought.

Once out, they looked around planet Doom. The hot winds hit their faces like steam from an engine. Allura closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she watched as Zarkon walked out of the craft, with Keith following behind. Sven, Pidge, and Hunk stared in amazement. They hadn't seen Keith since before the attack.

"Holy crap!" Pidge cried.

"You can say that again." Hunk shook his head in disbelief.

"Holy mother of crap!" Pidge reemphasized.

The new prince walked past Zarkon toward the group and looked blankly and coldly at them, "Take them to the tower dungeons. I want them each in a separate holding cell."

"Keith?" Allura looked at him with sadness in her eyes. He avoided her gaze.

"Take them now!"

The guards nodded and obeyed as they dragged the five of them toward the castle.

Keith watched as they left; a sudden wave of guilt flooded his mind and heart. Before he could analyze it, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Come now son. Let's have some dinner. I want to explain to you your next assignment."

Nodding curtly, Keith followed his "father" into his new home.

VVVVVVVVVV

The guest suites inside castle Doom had such lavish of luxuries that they could make a five star hotel on Earth look like Motel 6. At least that's what Maryann thought as she finished eating the last of her dinner in the room Zarkon provided for her. Hunger hadn't struck the scientist; but she knew she needed her strength in order to escape from the lush prison that held her.

Maryann wondered what they planned to do with her. She stood up from the table and began walking around the room. Zarkon mentioned he wanted her to work for him, but to her, that was out of the question. _There's no way in hell, I'd work for that monster!_ She thought as she paced the room.

Studying the room around her, she noticed electronic devices on the ceiling._ Cameras. I need to do something to them, but I'll need some type of tool. _The woman began searching everywhere, but found nothing. Then, suddenly, she looked back to her food tray and smiled when she noticed they had given her a knife.

She walked back to the table, sat down once again, and pretended to eat her leftovers. Then, she acted as if she accidentally dropped the knife and napkin on the floor. Maryann picked up the napkin and carefully used her leg to push the knife farther beneath the table. _Hopefully no one will notice it there. _

A slave girl walked into her room abruptly, "Are you done with your supper Madam?" She asked, not bothering to look at her. The scientist stood up from the table, walked over to her bed and sat down. Maryann nodded, "Yes…thank…thanks."

She noticed that the young girl began picking up and cleaning the table slowly. _Damn, she'll find out! _Hoping to divert her attention, Maryann began asking questions again, "Please tell me, what is Zarkon planning to do with me? Or, at least help me find a way of escaping."

The slave girl ignored her and quickly finished her cleaning; wanting to leave the constant pleas that Maryann subjected her to. Holding the tray in her hands, the girl answered, "I will take my leave Madam. Good evening." She scurried away so fast, trying to avoid further questioning, that she neglected to see the knife was not on the plate. _Good_, the scientist thought.

Sighing in relief, Maryann stood up. She had to think of a way to retrieve the knife from under the table without being noticed. She knew Zarkon's plans for her would happen soon and she had to act fast. The scientist didn't think a simple knife would prevent her from stopping him, but she had to try.


	23. Chapter 23

Warning! This chapter is a bit on the mature side. Viewer discretion advised.

Thank you Mertz for the edit.

On with the show!

_To keep a lamp __burning__ we have to keep putting oil in it._—Mother Teresa.

Chapter 23: The Burning Fire

The king and his son ate in silence after the discussion of the mission the prince would undertake the next morning. Zarkon listened to every idea Keith had in order to make the mission successful. Amazed by Keith's thought process and analytical skills, Zarkon couldn't have been more pleased with his decision to replace Lotor. Pride entered the Drule King; soon, with the help of his son, he would become the most powerful king in the Drule kingdom.

However, something worried Zarkon. The prince seemed distracted after discussion of the mission ceased. The king inferred that his son's thoughts laid somewhere else…or rather with someone else.

Both sat in the large dining hall across from each other. Two slave girls catered to their needs as a group of harem women entered the room and began to dance on a stage located on one side of the room.

"So, you understand what you have to do for me?" Zarkon asked as he continued eating his dinner and studying his son with curiosity.

Keith nodded, but didn't reply.

Narrowing his eyes, the king asked, "Son, are you alright?"

His son suddenly looked up to face him. "I'm fine, just thinking…why didn't she accept me?"

"Who?"

"The Princess of Arus…I would have thought she would have accepted our deal. After all, she has nothing to fall back on. And…"

"And what?"

Sighing, Keith continued, "I would have thought that…she would have at least accepted me since I have a lot to offer her." He finished looking resigned and lost in thought.

Zarkon pondered. _This problem with Allura is bigger than I thought._ "Son, don't you know that the princess has nothing but hatred for you?"

Keith's gaze fell on his plate. He looked crushed.

"Of course." Zarkon continued commenting. "She's always disliked you. The princess rejected you, didn't she? As a matter of fact, if she doesn't agree to our deal, we may just have to…get rid of her."

Abruptly, Keith's eyes flashed at the king and for a moment, Zarkon thought his future leader would defy him. However, his features soon softened to one of remorse, "Father, aren't we getting a little too ahead of ourselves?"

Zarkon drank from his glass while looking at his son. When he was done, he put the glass down, "You're right son. We will take things one step at a time." He looked at the slave girl that was serving Keith and gave her a quick nod while the prince continued eating his meal. She quickly left.

Moments later, the girl returned with a copper glass and handed it to Keith. He took it and asked, "What's this?"

"A cocktail, son." Zarkon replied. "Haggar told me you were in pain earlier…are you still feeling rather ill?"

Keith nodded, "She said it would go away once I was home, but it hasn't subsided."

"This will help and relax you. Drink it." He ordered.

Without hesitation, Keith drank. He closed his eyes as a burning need inside of him ignited.

Zarkon smiled, "Son, the women of Doom are the most beautiful in the galaxy. Maybe you should relax with one tonight."

He shook his head, "No," he quickly stated. "I'll be fine."

_He is still thinking of her. Well, we'll see how he feels after the cocktail takes effect_. "That's alright. Why don't you go to your chambers and rest then. I'll see you after you return from the mission." Zarkon smiled.

Feeling slightly flushed, Keith stood up, "Father, about the mission… I will need to take Lance."

"Why?" Zarkon sounded defensive.

"He's very good with explosives, better than me, actually. He'll come in handy when I need to break into the compound. Lance has a way of making any explosive sound…rather silent." Keith smirked.

At this, Zarkon smiled. "You may take him, but keep an eye on him. If he tries anything, kill him."

Keith nodded rather reluctantly, "I'll go speak to him now. Have a good evening Father. I'll see you upon my return." He answered as he walked out of the dining room.

The king stood up from his seat after Keith left the room and called out for the witch, "Haggar, appear now!" he commanded. Within a few seconds, the witch appeared from nowhere and bowed to him.

"Yes, Sire."

"His chip is not working to its full potential. He has…feelings." Zarkon replied in disgust.

"Starr warned me that the process would work differently on a human than on Drules. What have you noticed?"

"He seems to have feeling for his former friends; one in particular that worries me more… the princess."

"Yes, I've noticed." Haggar replied nodding, "When he shot the advisor, he could have just as easily killed him if he chose to, but didn't. And when I told him to kill the Princess of Pollux, he again refused. You said he has feelings for Princess Allura?"

"Yes, I can't have him feel love for her; it would ruin everything I've worked to put together in the last six months."

"We could place a chip in her as well." Haggar advised. "We could make her…love him? At least have her follow our wishes."

The king shook his head, "No, I can't have him feeling anything Haggar. Besides, I do not plan on having Alfor's daughter alive any longer than I have to. I want the entire royal line of Arus destroyed and wiped out from existence! Alfor and his legacy have been a thorn on my backside for decades and I don't intend for that little bitch to ruin my plans. I do not want any part of the Royal House of Arus as part of my Drule legacy."

"What shall we do then?"

"We'll need to reprogram him." Zarkon thought for a bit. "Do you have the other chip?"

"Yes,"

"Can you alter it?"

"Absolutely," the witch nodded.

Zarkon thought more for a bit and shook his head, "No, don't do that. Create a new one based on the information we've learned so far, but program it with everything we need. I want him to forget everything that causes him emotion. I want him dead of any feelings that could provide an obstacle for us."

Nodding in agreement, Haggar laughed wildly before she disappeared. Once she's gone, the king turned to the slave girl that attended Keith during dinner. "You," he ordered.

The young girl fell on her knees from nerves. Zarkon did not pay much attention; instead he continued giving orders, "Go to his room. Make sure he's satisfied." The young girl's eyes grew wide. She didn't think her time would come so quickly. She took a deep breath, rose and headed to the commander's room.

Zarkon took a few minutes to look at the rest of the women that dance around the hall. A bit satisfied with himself now, he calmed down. _Once Haggar corrects this little error, everything else will go according to plan. _He thought as he turned around and walked out the door.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lance sat in a corner of his cell, studying the layout of the prison chambers where the entire team had been placed. He had to admit it was smart of Keith to separate each of them into different solitary cells. None of them could see any of the others. They're only means of communication was calling out that they were alright every hour. They didn't speak much beyond that. He knew the guards were listening to their every word.

The lieutenant sighed heavily. He hated the fact that he was confronting his best friend, but he wouldn't give up on him. Lance convinced himself that whatever Zarkon had done to Keith, was reversible. He had to believe; if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to recover from losing his best friend, his brother.

Sighing heavily, he yelled out. "Guys, how are you doing?"

"I'm ok," Allura said immediately.

"So, am I," Hunk answered.

"I'm ok too Lance," Pidge yelled out.

"I'm here also." Sven said finally.

"Don't worry Lance. No one's hurt and it wouldn't be wise of me to do so." He heard a voice close to his cell. "At least, not for now."

At hearing his voice, the new leader of the Voltron Force stood and sprinted to bars of his cell, "What do you want Keith?" Lance asked, looking up at him seriously.

"I need your help." The prince answered calmly.

Lance didn't answer him; instead he waited until Keith began to speak.

"Father is sending me on a mission and I believe only you can help me." Keith answered coldly. "I'd be willing to improve your current dwellings should you choose to accept."

"You want me to help Zarkon? There is no way I'm helping that son of a bitch."

Keith said nothing, continuing to look at Lance like a stranger, "What do _you_ want?" he finally taunted.

"I want us back on Arus?"

"You know that's not possible." Keith sighed heavily; his patience grew very thin, "I'm through playing games Lieutenant. You are coming with me or I'll just kill one of your teammates."

"You're willing to kill one of us, Keith." Lance answered with fury. "Just like…Coran?"

"It's your choice Lance. Help me in order to help them." Keith answered, hoping Lance wouldn't call his bluff.

"I can't believe you're pulling this shit on me...fine." he sighed.

"We leave tomorrow morning." Keith said as he began to walk out. "Guards!"

"Yes, Sire." One Drule came running toward him.

"Bring our guests beds, blankets, pillows and some food. I'm sure they're famished."

"Right away, your Highness."

The prince began to walk out with the guard when he heard another voice call out to him, a female's, "Keith!"

He stopped. Just hearing her voice sent a jolt to his stomach and images of her entered his mind. _But, she hates me, how can I feel this for her?_ He asked himself.

"Keith, please, come here." Allura called out again.

Her voice sent his blood rushing to his brain. He couldn't control himself. Keith turned and headed back toward Allura's cell, as if the princess's voice was one that belonged to the sirens of the sea. She beckoned him, controlled him, and as much as he hated it, he longed to see her. The guard cautiously followed a few steps behind him.

When he reached her cell, Keith couldn't take his eyes away from her. Allura's beauty overshadowed the ugliness around her dingy cell. She had loosened the bun that held her locks and now her hair spread around her wildly. She mesmerized him; his princess, a beautiful disaster, stared back at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. _What I wouldn't give to take her now._ The prince's mind flashed with images of her, her body; him taking all of her. _No! I can't!_ "What do you want?" he asked forcibly, trying to hide his feelings for her.

The princess walked closer to the cell and reached out for him. Keith couldn't control himself and took her hand; she brought him closer. "Come." She ordered with a low tone. He did as ordered. "No, Keith, closer." Allura pleaded. Keith fought with everything he could to tell her no, but he couldn't, something prevented him. He looked into her eyes; those glorious blue eyes that now controlled him. Reluctantly, the prince came so close to her that their bodies almost touched each other; the only thing that separated them was the bars that prevented them from fully touching each other.

"What do you want?" Keith whispered.

Allura could smell the wine on his breath. She looked at him for a moment, his face was pale and she could tell he was controlling himself from something.

"What did they give you?"

The prince looked at her; a slow cold smile crept in his face. "You called me to ask what I had for dinner?"

"You look sick." She told him as her hand extended between the bars to caress his face.

He closed his eyes as if trying to distract himself from her touch. Keith enjoyed Allura's touch so much it hurt; he couldn't force himself away from it. "What do you want Princess?"

"To tell you that…" she began as tears fell down her cheeks, "This isn't you. You wouldn't let Zarkon do any harm to us." Keith leaned closer, the cells supporting his head. _So close_, he thought to himself. The prince could smell her vanilla scent. God, he could taste her. All he had to do was order the guards to open the cell and he would whisk her away, take her….love her.

"I'd never let anyone harm you. Not even Father." He whispered.

"Keith, take us away from here, please." Allura pleaded.

"Join us." The prince forced himself to tell her as a feeling of suffocation entered him. His need for her grew and Keith couldn't hold himself any longer. He grabbed on to the bars, trying to control this urgent need to take her. Something inside him told him not to. He felt an all out war with himself would begin soon.

"You know I can't do that. _You_ need to come back to us." Allura whispered back, her tone was strong, defiant.

His eyes opened and looked at her; _A game. This is all a game to her._ The prince told himself. "I will do everything in my power to protect you. If…you join me."

"No."

He nodded and then, did something the princess wasn't expecting it. "Guard, open the cell."

"Allura, are you alright!" Lance's voice echoed out from down the corridor.

"I'm fine!" She lied. Allura had no idea what Keith planned.

The guard walked up to the cell and keyed in the code to open the princess' cell. Allura took a step back as the bars opened and Keith walked in. Without a word, he walked up to her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him, "I've never wanted you more."

A burning need to feel her lips against his overwhelmed him. Without as much as asking for consent, Keith kissed Allura with a feverish passion that made her legs wobble. He thought she'd fight him, but instead, she kissed him back with the same strength. Allura wrapped her fingers in his hair and enjoyed his lips with an astounding fury.

Forcing himself to let go, he asked once again, "Join me and I promise I'll do everything to convince Father to work together with you."

"He won't." She whispered in between her kisses.

"Just join us."

"Keith!" She let go of him and stared at the prince. The cloud over Allura withered away and she saw once again her friend, who had been possessed by what she thought was a spell cast by the witch. "Know that I will never ally myself with Zarkon. He means nothing to me, just like he means nothing to you. Damn it, fight what's inside you. This is not you!"

The princess' words angered him. Nothing felt worse to him than when they spoke ill of his father, the man who made him who he was. Keith turned around and walked out of the cell. He fought the feelings of longing toward her and focused on hating her for who Allura was…the enemy, his enemy.

The door to her cell closed ones more before he turned back around to face her. With anger evident in his eyes, the prince threatened her, "This was your last chance Princess. Consider whatever relationship we had completely annulled. May you rot in this cell for eternity…then you will know who I really am!" He seethed as he walked out and left Allura speechless.

Passing Lance's cell, the Red Lion pilot called out.

"Keith, for God's sake stop this!"

The prince ignored him and continued toward the door.

"Well, at least tell me where the hell am I going?" Lance yelled.

The prince smiled unnaturally, his voice carrying back to the lieutenant as he walked out, "You'll soon find out. Goodnight."

VVVVVVVVVVVV

Walking to his room, Keith couldn't help feeling the inferno that burned within himself. After leaving Allura, the growing need for her grew into a ridiculous torture. Heat rushed through his veins. It made it impossible for him to think, he wanted…needed a release. He couldn't be with Allura, she was poison to him. _What the hell do I do now_? He sulked.

The prince opened the doors to his room and as he walked in, he saw the young servant, the one from dinner sitting on his bed. Keith smiled as he looked her over. With her long black hair, dark brown eyes and wearing only a slip, she began to look delicious to him. He could tell that he frightened her,_ how interesting_? He thought. "Why are you afraid?"

Looking down, tears began to fall, "I…I've never…" and she could not finish.

He walked closer to her, kneeled in front of her to align his face against hers, and kissed her lightly on the lips. Keith could feel her lips trembling beneath his. Releasing them he kept them within easy reach, "You've never slept with a man?" She shook her head.

Part of him wanted to tell her to go, but the fire within him brooded even more and he couldn't help himself. He walked away from her and began taking his jacket off then his undershirt, placing them on a chair located in one corner of the room. He sat down on the chair, and took off his boots and socks as he watched her cry. His mind told him to let her go, but staring at her long legs, her shapely thighs and her pert breasts… he couldn't allow her to leave. Keith needed her body.

He stood up, sat next to her on the bed and began kissing her neck, "I'll be gentle." Keith whispered and immediately pushed her down the bed. She gasped in fright as he laid on top of her and began kissing her softly at first, but the more he kissed her, the more the heat began to throb within him and he felt himself wanting more of the young girl.

The poor thing began crying even more as he removed her slip and caressed her breast with his hand, "Shhh…" the prince ordered her. Then he looked at her and anger entered his eyes as he saw her tears. He pulled her back up in a sitting position, "The more you cry, the harder I'll be on you." Keith kissed her roughly again, "Do you want that?" he asked when finished.

She shook her head in fright.

"Lie down," the prince ordered and she did as told. About to lower himself to her, the opening of his bedroom door interrupted him. Keith looked toward the door; his eyes burned with his anger. The anger began to dim as he saw the person who entered the room.

A woman with long blond hair that fell to her lower back stared at him from her place near the door. The prince saw her curves through her tight, short, red slip. She smiled at him as she walked closer to the bed, "My prince, I think you need someone more experienced tonight."

He stood up, dismissing the young girl on the bed from his mind as he looked at her, "You think you can appease me?"

Starr smiled seductively back. "I guarantee it." she hissed as she came closer to his ear and lightly licked it. He closed his eyes, taking in pleasure from her flirtatious game.

Keith turned back to the young girl in the bed, his contemptuous gaze stared the young girl down. "Get out." He ordered. The young girl quickly put her clothes back on and ran out of the room. The prince then turned to look at beauty in red in front of him.

The blonde stepped back and undid the straps that held her slip. Slowly, the tiny lace that covered her body fell softly to the floor. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, "You are beautiful." Starr huskily told him between her kisses. Unable to control himself, Keith pulled her closer to him, crushing her breasts against his chest. As he kissed her, she practically ripped the buttons from his pants. Somehow, they managed throw his pants and underwear wayside. The prince grabbed the blonde woman by the buttocks and she laughed aloud as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He turned her around and smiled cynically at her, "Who are you?" However, before she could answer him, Keith threw her onto the bed and landed on top of her, kissing her roughly. Starr fought back, kissing him with equal force.

When they stopped their war, her cat-like eyes smiled back at him, "I am your betrothed, your queen, the mother of the future dynasty of Doom…yours my lord. I am your Starr."

With a voice, low and husky, the new prince of Doom answered, "Well, how nice to meet you…my Queen." He kissed her again and pushed himself inside her, killing the fire, his need, making his queen his, over and over again.

VVVVVVVVVV

Later that night, as Starr slept on his chest, she heard the prince murmur in his sleep. She looked up and watched him as he slept. He seemed as if he was caught in a dream and kept repeating a name over and over, "Allura."

She continued to study him, _'The princess? He's still in love with the princess? Well, we'll need to fix that, won't we…?_


	24. Chapter 24

Thank you Mertz!

Feli3, hopefully this chapter answers your question. Enjoy!

"_Choices are the hinges of destiny."_ Attributed to both Edwin Markham and Pythagoras

Chapter 24-Decisions

The next morning Lance woke up to a sudden harsh nudge on his shoulder. A rough voice suddenly followed. "Wake up slave! It's time to leave!"

Jerking up almost immediately, Lance's eyes focused on the lights two Drule soldiers flashed in his face.

"Move!" One of the Drule guard grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of the cot provided to him the night before.

"Alright, alright!" Lance yelled at them, "I'm up! _You fucking prick!"_ He finished whispering to himself as the guards led him out of his cell.

Noticing that the guards obstructed his view as they headed out the cell area, Lance cringed,cringed; _I won't be able to see the rest of them before I go. Damn it!_ "Sven!"

"I'm here!" The Norwegian shouted back as he ran toward the entrance of his cell.

"Shut up!" The guard on Lance's left grunted as he shoved him forward. The lieutenant ignored him.

"Take care of them!"

"Make sure you come back!" Sven hollered back.

"_Shut up!_" the other guard yelled, shutting both men down as they forced Lance out of the cell area.

Upon exiting, Lance once again made a mental note of the area where the others were being kept.

"Where do you plan on taking me?" Lance asked the guards as they led him out through the corridors.

"The prince will give you all the details once you board the ship."

"Can't wait," Lance answered sarcastically.

They led him out of the dungeons then outside of the castle walls. From there, they took him on a shuttle to a landing strip where a large Doom fighter waited for him.

Once aboard, another set of guards took him. These, however, acted very differently from the previous ones. As soon as the first set of guards left, the new guards saluted him, "Lieutenant." One of the guards stated, "The prince considers you an honorable guest on his ship. Allow us to show you to your rooms." A confused look entered Lance as the guards spoke, but they dismissed his behavior.

As they gestured him to move forward, one guard walked ahead of him, guiding the way, while the other lagged behind him.

When they finally arrived at the assigned room and opened the door, Lance's eyes widened. He had been placed in one of the royal suites. A large oval bed stood at in the middle of the room full of red and gold pillows.

He noticed the material that dressed the bed, pure silk. On top of the bed, a uniform, similar to his, but completely black, stood out in contrast to the red sheets decorating the bed. On the side of the room, stood a round table with a bowl of fruits, a variety of breads, and a pitcher of a substance that Lance guessed was orange juice.

"This is my room?" Lance questioned, with a sardonic smile, turning to the guards, "I highly doubt that his _Highness_ would kindly allow me access to this type of room."

The guard slightly nodded, "Lieutenant, as I said before, the prince considers you an esteemed guest. He'd like for you to have some breakfast and wash up. We will come back in an hour and escort you to his Highness, where he will relay the details of the mission."

"Lovely," Lance answered as he watched the guards take leave. _Keith, what the hell are you up to?_

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith dressed in a new clean uniform he found in his closet. Turning, he looked over at the woman lying in his bed still asleep. He moved over to a full-length mirror and looked himself over. Suddenly, a figure stood behind him, wearing a blanket to cover herself.

"My Prince, I hope you didn't think of leaving without saying goodbye."

He smiled, looking at her in the reflection of the mirror, "Wouldn't even think of it." Keith answered her coldly.

Starr turned him around and kissed his lips softly. "I'll be waiting for you when you come back."

He nodded, "I hope you welcome me properly."

She kissed him harder and dropped the blanket that covered her, "Would you like a preview?" Starr dragged him back to bed as she seductively kissed him. Lying on top of her naked body, Keith indulged in her kisses, her tongue playing with his lips. Her legs, gently wrapped themselves over his thighs as she gyrated herself against him.

Keith grunted inwardly, first enjoying his soon to be wife, then…flashes…continuous flashes…a face, _her_ face…_Allura!_

It was at that moment that he felt a sharp pain inside his head. Starr took note, "Are you alright?"

The prince breathed hard, "Yeah…" he answered unsure. He looked at her and suddenly felt an overwhelming guilt inside of him. "I need to leave. Lance must have been taken to the ship by now."

Keith detached from her roughly and headed to the door. "I'll see you when I return." He told her, not bothering to look back.

After the prince left, Starr sat up. _Allura! Damn that bitch!_ She walked over to his closet and grabbed one of his robes before she headed out the door to return to her rooms.

VVVVVVVVVV

As expected, the guards came back for Lance an hour later. He followed them dreading what would come. Before their arrival, Lance had eaten, bathed, and put on the attire provided to him. The guards seemed pleased and he believed they also felt relief that they didn't have to fight him, _I wonder why? _

They led him to another room in another part of the ship. It seemed an eternity to arrive at their destination as the guards guided him through the endless maze of theof the ship. When the doors opened, Lance stared at Keith, still amazed to see him dressed in full Drulian attire.

"Good morning, Lance." Keith smiled at him then gestured him to come in and take a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk the prince sat at. Lance noticed the room around him; it appeared to be an office.

The other guards bowed and left them. Lance heard the closing of the door as he faced the man in front of him.

It had been a gift that Lance could tell when Keith forced himself to do something or act in a certain way. At that moment, the lieutenant saw pain. Keith was in pain, even if he tried to seem normal. His eyes seemed glassy and even his greeting to him seemed force, tight. But, Lance realized the time to address that observation had not arrived. He chose that knowing what the hell Keith planned to put him through was more important. "Where are we going and what the hell do you have planned for me?"

Keith's smiled dwindled away. A stoic demeanor replaced thereplaced the proud smile, "I thought you'd be grateful for the accommodations I provided you. After all, everyone would be treated in the same fashion if you just ally yourselves with us." He sighed.

"No, thank you." Lance replied rather flatly. "Now tell me where we are going and what the hell you have planned for me?" He continued, his eyes meeting and challenging Keith's dark ones.

"It's a two day trip, to and back Lance, I suggest we make peace for the time being."

At this the lieutenant stood up, "Damn it Keith! I care three shits about making peace with you at this moment. I want to get this damn thing over with and I want to go back to my friends."

Keith's didn't flinch. Instead, he gestured Lance to sit back down, "Fair enough, please have a seat." He paused for a bit before he continued. Lance studied him with detail, "Our destination is Planet Reyem., itIt is one of Doom's enemy planets within the Drule Empire. Reyem currently holds a specific weapon that could potentially destroy Doom."

"What do you really need me for?" Lance snorted.

Keith sighed, "I'm not very proud to voice this, while Father's men have the strength, unfortunately, they lack the brain power to help me. I need someone with...talent. I would have taken Sven, but seeing that I almost killed his girlfriend…I figured it would be best to have you come with me instead."

"So you want me to destroy this weapon." Lance lowered his head, not out of fear, but he felt repulsed watching Keith act this way.

"Just help me into the compound, I'll do the rest."

Lance nodded, "My team?"

"They are fine Lance. I promise...no one will hurt them. You have my word."

The lieutenant snorted, his eyes darted away, "Your word. You no longer have a sense of the meaning of those words." He heard Keith wince is pain and instantly looked up. He saw Keith holding his head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Keith answered. The prince's tone tightened as he continued speaking, "There's nothing else for me to say Lance. Why don't you go back to your rooms and rest? You'll need it."

Noting the sudden grimace his friend's facial expression held, Lance studied him more, "Keith,"

"Go Lieutenant. Go!"

Lance stood and turned to the door, when opened the two guards that escorted him to the conference room earlier, stood by the door waiting for him.

"Take him back to the room!" The prince ordered. Lance noticed Keith's eyes tearing a bit.

He turned to the guards and left the room.

VVVVVVVVVV

Deep below the lowest levels of Castle Doom, another being shared a deeper kind of pain. As he moved closer to the mouth of one of the mineshafts located several hundreds of feet below the foundation of the castle's structure, Lotor heard the banging and drilling along with the shouts of the guards, who whipped the slaves as they worked.

About to move in for a better view, he felt Danner's hand on his shoulder, "Don't go any closer. If they see you, they will shoot you."

That stopped Lotor. _Danner is right. They'll welcome the opportunity to slaughter me_. "How can we enter?"

Danner pointed to another mouth located a few feet away from the one they were closer to, "There. Look at the one with the metal pillars holding the mouth open….that's the one we are going to enter through. It's an emergency exit for the soldiers should a cave in occur. Few know that it is route to the entrances of the castle. Few enter as it is only used in emergencies. They won't detect us in there."

"Are you sure they won't catch us?" Lotor looked around.

"Yes my Prince. But we'll have to be very alert once in."

"How long until we reach the entrances of the castle?"

Danner shook his head as he thought. "Three, four day's time maybe. There are many, sublevel caves that we need to climb up to. As I said before, it is meant to save the soldiers from cave ins that occur here. It is not meant to be a fast path up to the castle."

"Well, let's begin." Lotor answered. About to sprint to the directed cave, Danner suddenly stopped the former prince.

"No. Not yet."

"Why?" he exclaimed, furiously in a whisper.

"Sire, I must find some work clothes so that we may mix in with the rest of the slaves. You are also too tall for the average slave; you'll have to hunch down as you walk."

Lotor breathed out a sigh of frustration. "Just find something. We must start our journey back to the castle as soon as possible!"

"Yes Sire. I'll be back in about an hour's time." Danner answered as he ran toward the directed cave.

Lotor sat back, hiding behind the massive rocks within the hills around the mouths of the mines. _Victory… so close…and when I finally meet Father, he will know the price for his treacherous deed._

VVVVVVVVVV

Allura heard footsteps approaching her cell. She stood up from her cot, hoping to catch a glimpse of Keith one more time, so she thought. Instead, shock enveloped her as someone greeted her.

"Who are you?" Allura asked as the woman stared at her in contemplation.

"I see why he dreams about you at night. You are extremely beautiful." She answered, dismissing her question and continuing to stare at her with an eerie wonder and a bit of envy.

"Who dreams about me at night? Oh, let me guess..." Allura began, the interest leaving her. "Lotor, I presume."

The blonde woman shook her head, "No...Keith."

At this, the princess walked closer to her, reaching the cell bars, "Keith? Who are you?" Allura asked more forcefully.

Starr smiled at her, "I am his...woman." She answered proudly. "But you seem to still linger in his mind and I'll have to find a way to stop this of course."

Allura looked at the blonde opposite of her, her fierce eyes glaring back at Starr, "You won't get away with this. Keith is stronger than all of you give him credit for. He _will_ beat this."

Starr smiled back, "Don't bet on it. He seems very willing to accept us…or rather me." The woman laughed lightly before she continued her taunting game, "Allura, he felt so _good _inside me." She laughed again. "Too bad, you'll never experience such a feeling. I just came to tell you that."

"You lie!"

She laughed heavier at the comment. "I wouldn't be surprised if I was carrying his child right at this moment." Her fingers moved down to touch her belly.

Rage contoured the features of Allura's face, "That's not true. Keith loves me. I know he does and _if _that happened…I know it wasn't him!"

Starr smiled at her viciously. "Dream what you wish Allura." She told her roughly. "Goodbye, fair princess." She finished as she turned around and walked back down the hall and out of the cellblocks.

Allura stood by the cell for a moment, closing her eyes as tears of rage began to fall out of them. Then, she heard Pidge calling her, "Princess...Princess are you alright?"

Shaking her head, she tried to answer, but couldn't, her chest felt so tight. The princess closed her eyes and breathed deeply. _If I had said yes, if I had said yes, would this have happened? Could I have prevented this?_ She thought as her mind drifted back to the night of her eighteenth birthday celebration. But she knew… nothing could have prevented what had occurred. Allura had no power to stop the events that unfolded in her life and those she loved. _But I can change them. They don't have to end this way. I won't let it end this way._

She thought of the woman who had just visited her. _He slept with her..._ The princess felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Her heart ached more than she could ever imagine. The thought of Keith sleeping with someone else destroyed her.

In the very back of her mind, she always wondered what making love would be like. She'd daydream about a night filled with stars, a full moon and she one with nature, naked, free, and waiting to love. Her dreams always involved a man with hair as dark as starless night, a smile that could not prevent her from smiling back, and kisses that tasted like ambrosia. Foolish girl dreams, Nanny often called them when Allura spoke to her about kissing a boy. Of course, the princess never explicitly told her the details of those dreams.

Now thinking back about them, she finally saw a face in those daydreams. She never admitted it to herself, but Allura always knew who it was. _Keith_. Those dreams never involved anyone else but him; she never thought of anyone else. At that moment, Allura had put a name to that man.

"Princess!"

Allura heard the voice of Hunk this time. She didn't answer.

It pained her to know he had given himself to someone else. _How could he?_ But it wasn't him, she reminded herself. _He would never do that. __He would never do that to me!_ Her Keith would never purposely hurt her. He loved her and in the back of his mind, something in him, despite the horror he had become, still did. Allura vowed, she would do anything it would take to bring him back, she would not let him succumb to evil, she would not let his essence die, for she knew if he did, part of her would die as well. Love, for her, would never exist. Her love belonged to him._ I love him._ She cried. "Oh heavens, I love him!" The princess stated aloud to herself for the first time. "Please don't let me lose him. Please help me find him again." Allura continued to cry. She knew…she knew her time had come to show him what she truly felt for him.

"Allura!" Sven hollered now.

"Yes." She composed herself. Wiping away her tears, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm fine. I'm ok."

"You sure?"

Nodding, the princess stated, "Yes. I'm fine." For she knew the time had come to save her man.


	25. Chapter 25

Thank you all! Have a wonderful holiday break!

_No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one is true_.- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Chapter 25: Deteriorating Illusions

Haggar gleefully worked in her laboratory. A smirk crept onto her winkled lips at the sight of the Vidscreen showing the words she wanted to see, _Configuration Complete_. "Good," she replied to herself as she retrieved the new chip from her laboratory device. Smiling, she thought she had outdone herself. Everything had gone according to plan, so far. The Voltron commander had opened doors that she never thought possible. Soon, victory would smile upon the Empire. She nodded in agreement, lately the days felt so much brighter on Doom. It seemed like something truly impossible.

"Tell me it's complete."

The witch turned around when she heard the familiar voice of Zarkon echoing through her lab.

"It is." Haggar nodded, facing him. "It took most of the day, but it is complete. When would you like to begin the procedure?"

"When he returns. I wouldn't be surprised if he still thinks of her, even as far away as he is now." Zarkon answered as he looked at the chip rotating through a crystal tube that sat on the witch's lab table. "Will he experience the same effects he had last time?"

The witch shook her head, "No. His body is used to the object, I'll pull the original out and insert the next one immediately. It will feel like...a computer rebooting."

Zarkon laughed at the comparison. "Amazing how the humans wanted to make robots out us and we end up using their technology against them." He paused for a bit, lost in that thought. "Did you add everything we discussed?"

"Yes, I've made sure that he'll have nothing close to human feelings. He will have the mentality and thoughts of a Drule."

Zarkon smiled, "Everything is coming together perfectly."

The witch smiled.

"Not everything!" The king heard another voice echo in to the lab. He knew the voice and turned around. "I've been trying to find you today my Lord. After the prince's departure, I wasn't allowed access to speak to you. My apologies on barging in this way." The woman's tone of voice seemed frigid. Zarkon knew her anger resonated with his willingness to purposely ignore her by working most of the day on future projects his son would soon take over.

"What is wrong Starr? You have everything that I promised. When he comes back he will be yours in every way."

"He's already been mine my Lord." She answered him with a cold but satisfying tone.

Zarkon's eyes turned bright yellow with fury, "You were to wait until he returned from the mission and I presented you at the ceremony. It is Drule tradition."

"I'm not a Drule and neither is he." She hissed.

The king snarled with anger and slapped the treacherous woman. "Whether or not you look like one, you have accepted being part of us, therefore you are one. Start accepting our ways Starr or else!"

Her eyes watered with pain and fury. Zarkon had a mighty hard hand. She ignored it as she snarled. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have found out what I did last night."

Zarkon and Haggar looked at her in question, "What?" The old witch asked curiously.

"He dreams of her! His conscious still remembers _her_! Sooner or later, he will break out of your little brainwashing scheme and he'll remember who he really is. "

"The Princess of Arus," Zarkon repeated, more to himself than anyone else. That woman was a disease. _The entire Arus dynasty is a damn disease_! He turned to Haggar, "His human tendencies still lie in his subconscious."

Haggar nodded, "Another sign. If we don't act soon, they may override the suggestions implanted in him. The doctor did say the chip would work differently on humans."

"Will your creation fix that problem?" the king asked seriously.

The witch smiled, "I guarantee it won't fail."

Zarkon turned to Starr, "Don't worry about this. Soon he will have eyes only for you."

Starr didn't backed down, "I want her dead!"

The Doom king stared at her in contemplation. "Dead...I think that can be arranged. Go make your rounds Starr. I'll take care of everything."

"My Lord..."

"Go!" he ordered. "I'll take care of everything."

She looked at him fiercely, but backed away and left.

Once gone, he turned to the witch. "When he gets back, Haggar."

She nodded. "Yes, Sire."

VVVVVVVVVV

She wasn't an expert, but Maryann smiled to herself as she disabled the room's security system and looped the video in a way that would make it seem as she was sleeping. She knew the Drules would find out eventually, but she prayed luck would help her find a way to escape before all hell broke loose.

She walked toward the door and pressed the button to open it, hoping that she wouldn't find any of the guards in the hallway.

"Cocky sons of bitches." she whispered to herself, thinking that the Drules believed that no one would be able to escape from them. "Well, I'll show them."

Seeing no one near her vicinity, she hurried out and began searching for an exit to the guest hall. _This castle is a labyrinth_. She thought continuing to walk down the endless hallways. It seemed that Zarkon had a thing for pillars, since every few feet a golden one decorated the edges of the hallways. The floor, made of marble, signaled her steps as the heels of her boots made a noise with each step she took. Once Maryann reached the nearest pillar, she took them off and carried her shoes with her. _Not very effective, but it will have to do for now._

Within moments of her travel, she heard voices. _Drules!_ Quickly she hid behind one of the golden pillars within the hallway as the guards passed by her.

"I can't believe Zarkon got away with this!" One guard exclaimed.

"It's incredible." The second guard continued, "To have acquired the entire Voltron Force, I never thought of it possible." He laughed.

"Keep your mouth shut. If anyone hears you and tells Zarkon, you'll be disintegrated."

They continued walking along unaware of the young lady hiding behind one of the pillars_. They have the Force!_ Maryann shook her head in frustration. She had thought of trying to find an escape, maybe even finding a way to communicate with them in order to rescue her, but now, plans changed. _I need to find a way to help them. _She thought. _It's the only way to leave this hell._

VVVVVVVVVV

Walking inside the bridge of the Drulian ship, Keith immediately looked toward his soldiers, pleasantly surprised at what he saw on the viewing screen. "Perfect. We've arrived." Two days had come and gone with an eerie ease. Days and nights seemed to merge together. The prince didn't know when one ended and the other began. He was tired, couldn't sleep, and felt an overwhelming pain around him that bothered him to no end.

"Yes, Sire. I guess the asteroid storm we encountered did not hold us back as we originally thought." The guard replied.

Nodding, Keith agreed. "That's what happens when your commander actually knows how to fly through an asteroid belt." he finished sarcastically. "Land us somewhere far enough from the base." He ordered. Ignoring the pain in his head, he continued and focused on his task.

"Yes, my Prince. We should land in about twenty minutes. Should we prepare the lieutenant?"

Keith headed toward the door, "No," he began, "I'll speak to the lieutenant. Just make sure we are not detected as we land."

He walked away from the bridge and headed down the hallway of the ship toward Lance's room. Upon facing it, he entered the security code and opened the door.

When Lance saw him, he immediately stood up from his chair and looked at him. Keith saw the anger in his face. He felt guilty for putting him through this, but he didn't understand where this guilt came from. The feelings that he had had for the last two days felt foreign, they also bothered him. _Perhaps they are part of this pain, I feel all over. Stupid witch!_ he thought angrily. She had told him, the pain would go away and somehow in the last two days, it had become worse.

"What do you want?" Lance growled.

"We're here." Keith replied coldly. He wasn't about to show him any weakness that would give him away. Lance would know instantly.

"Where is here?" He asked.

"Reyem. We'll be landing in about twenty minutes or so. Before we disembark, my guards will hand you the necessary supplies."

"So, I don't get to see what I'm using until we go in? Not very smart of you, _my Prince _is it?" Lance sarcastic remark was followed by a sly smile.

Keith countered that smile, "You think I'd be stupid enough to give you my supplies now? Don't worry, you know how to use them and you'll know when. There's a reason why you're here _Lieutenant_." Keith turned around and walked out. "Make sure you're ready in twenty. My guards will escort you to the disembarking area. I'll see you there."

Once gone, Lance's frustrations rose. Walking over to a small table in his room, he picked it up and slams it against the wall. "I hate this shit!"

VVVVVVVVVV

Two Drule guards were stationed at the front of the tall octagonal base, walking in opposite directions around the vicinity as they kept guard, unable to notice the lone dark shadows that slipped past them without even the tiniest of noise.

A shadow came up behind the first guard and blasted him with a silencer, rendering him unconscious. He caught the Drule then lowered him to the ground silently.

As the second guard returned to his post, he was met by a second shadow, who used a blaster to hit him in the face, knocking him out. Once again, the second shadow caught the guard before he reached the floor.

"Where to now Keith?" Lance asked. He could barely see his former friend as his black Drule uniform complemented the darkness that surrounded them. Luckily their helmets contained night vision shade that allowed them to see through the darkness.

"There are dozens of guards within the first levels of the compounds." Keith whispered. "It wouldn't be wise to enter from there." He looked around and then turned to Lance, "We'll need to climb up the outer walls six levels, that's where the weapon is."

"I still don't get this Keith. I don't understand." Lance's words were a rhythm of frustration.

"You don't need to." Keith answered. "Inside your bag, you'll find grappling hooks. You'll need them to climb. We don't have that much time, so we better get started. Reyem is dark enough that it will be nearly impossible for the guards to see us."

Within moments, the two men prepared themselves with their supplies and began climbing toward the top of the base, a deep silence lingered around them, quieter than the breezes that echoed the night.

VVVVVVVVVV

Starr and Cossack walked in into the king's chambers with a sliver of bravery as they looked at one another. It had been two days since the scientist had mysteriously disappeared and no one knew where the hell she had hidden.

"My Lord. We've searched everywhere in the castle and cannot locate the doctor anywhere." Starr began.

Zarkon's face was a mask of pure violence when he looked at them. "What do you mean neither one of you two idiots can't find her! Do you mean to tell me she just walked out of here?"

"No my Lord," Cossack replied. "She hasn't escaped. There are no cruisers missing and our soldiers have scoured the area to find her in the caves. They've found no proof that she's there."

"And she's not in the cities," Starr continued. "She would have stood out and no one would lie or even want to protect her."

Zarkon walked up to them slowly. He towered over them as if reprimanding his kids for a deed not well done. "So that means she hides somewhere near the castle."

"Yes Sire," Cossack agreed.

"Find her! Don't disappointment me!" Zarkon barked, "Do not make me believe that the human can outsmart you in your own territory!"

"Yes Sire!" both called out and immediately left the king's chamber as he snarled at both of them with pure hatred.


	26. Chapter 26

Thank you all for making this so worthwhile for me! Busard, you're awesome!

_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed._ - Carl Gustav Jung

Chapter 26:Spiral Down to Darkness

_Lucky. _That was the word Maryann used to describe herself. Two days, and so far no one had found her. At first, she thought the castle's labyrinth of hallways would prove troublesome to her. However, as she avoided those who were after her and learned certain areas, she felt happier that the castle seemed to be a maze to even the people that inhabited it. After a time of hiding around in areas that seemed unpopulated, she realized that she would not do herself any good out in the open; she had to do something to stay incognito. It was then that the woman noticed the vents in the ceiling connected throughout the castle. They were large enough for her to crawl in and make her way throughout the castle. She forced herself into them.

When Maryann found out that the Voltron Force was being held captive in the dungeons, she knew she was the only one who could help them. After all, she was a Garrison soldier. The professor wasn't on active duty, but she had taken her oath and sworn to serve and protect her brothers and sisters in the military. They would do the same for her. This was her chance, probably the only chance, to prove to herself that she was capable of more than adding and subtracting formulas.

The professor realized that she would have to make her way to the dungeons by crawling through the vents. The other routes were too heavily guarded. Thankful that she could guide herself through the openings that distributed the air around the castle, she laid out her plan. First, Maryann would need food in order to survive and she didn't have the luxury to leave the vents unless she absolutely had to.

The professor made her way to the kitchen's first and quickly grabbed as many things as she could, stuffing them in a small sack she had found inside a cupboard. Before she made her way up again to her secured temporary home, she found a dark colored marker by the wall of the kitchen. _Seems like the Drules don't trust the slaves with datapads_, she thought, noticing the antique supplies that the slaves used to organize their work. After she collected everything she thought she needed, she lifted herself back up into the vents. _The advantages of being held captive in a large castle_, she reminded herself as she crawled back up, the idea of walking around in a dingy and cold vent was not very comforting.

Once up, she used the markers and marked the areas so that she would know how to return and not lose within the labyrinth of the vents. Luckily, every few feet the vents exposed through its metal rails the area for which she travelled.

After, learning the path and calculating the times she could travel without raising suspicions, Maryann began her search- her destination, the castle dungeons.

VVVVVVVVVV

They began scaling the exterior walls of the twenty story building almost immediately. Keith began first, followed by Lance, who climbed closely behind him. A thick fog rose around them as they began their ascent. Lance noticed how the humidity from the fog covered the windows. They were lucky that neither of them would be detected that way. Unfortunately, this same fog covered the metal walls with the thick moisture that made it easy to lose balance.

"Keith, slow down!" he harshly whispered. "It's too damn slippery out here!"

"Keep moving Lance." Keith ordered, ignoring his friend's advice. It was then he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head that made him lose his balance for a moment. Lance quickly climbed up and held onto him before he lost his grip on the wall.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

Keith kept his eyes closed for a moment before slowly opening them and then looked at his friend with the same cold stare as before. "I'm fine. Keep moving."

"Keith…"

"I didn't tell you to stop!" He snarled. "Forget about me and just continue. We have a mission to accomplish."

"Fine!" Lance growled back. "But stay ahead of me…just in case."

Keith nodded and continued his climb as Lance swore silently.

After what seemed forever, Keith and Lance made it to the desired floor. Using a window to enter, Lance drilled out the bolts holding the window casing. Keith pried the window's corners and popped the pane free. He then held the window pane to prevent it from falling. With a great deal of delicacy, they slid the pane inside the opening and placed it along the side of the wall before they themselves entered.

xxxxxxxxxx

The hallways were dark and an eerie feeling caught Lance as he headed toward the room where Keith had ordered him to go. _What the hell does he want me to do here?_ He asked himself and he began taking out the explosive devices from his backpack.

Within moments, he initiated installing the gadgets he had been supplied with to the security keycard by the door when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jerked up slightly but a squeeze on his shoulder made him relax.

"It's me." he heard Keith whisper.

"I don't understand what the hell we're doing here, Keith!" Lance whispered back roughly. "These hallways seem like living quarters, there can't be any damn weapons here!"

"Trust me," Keith replied calmly.

Shaking his head in frustration, Lance continued his work. Keith stood on the side of the door waiting and keeping watch of their surroundings. Moments later, both men hear a pop and the door slowly opens.

Carefully, Lance opened the door but Keith immediately took the lead. "Stay back," he commanded with a low tone.

The dim room seemed empty except for four candelabras in each corner that strategically lit up a pathway that led to another room farther in. Keith signaled Lance to keep quiet as he retrieved his gun. Seeing what Keith did, Lance also retrieved his gun from his holster.

The candle light guided them to another door within the area they entered. _This is fucking strange!_ Lance thought to himself as he noted the surroundings.

"Keith," He harshly whispered, beginning to lose his patience, "This does not look like a room that would hold any weapons."

Smiling, Keith turned to his friend, "But it is. Our weapon lies past that door." he replied pointing to the closed door. Keith turned to the door, using a small device he retrieved from his belt, he overrode the security code, and the door opened.

Both men walked into a dimly lit room, only slightly brighter than the previous one. A golden bed stood in the middle. A half-naked, human woman seemed to be sitting up, her back toward them, her long, red hair pulled back in a long ponytail. She moaned with pleasure, her hands seem to caress something in front of her.

"What the hell!" Lance couldn't help himself any longer as he spoke aloud.

At the sound of his voice, the woman cried out as she was suddenly tossed to the side and a new being rose up from the bed. A man, Drule, sat up from the bed as the woman covered herself with the blankets.

"My apologies for ruining your...concentration." Keith laughed humorously as he walked toward the man on the bed. "However, my visit will be short. That I promise." He finished as he pointed his gun at the Drules' chest.

"Youths of today," The Drule replied. "always sent at the most inopportune times." He pauses for a moment before continuing, "Who the hell are you?"

Keith moved closer, "My father, King Zarkon has sent me."

"You're Zarkon's son?" The Drule now laughed, "Funny, you don't look anything like him."

"Funny, you don't look stupid enough to defy King Zarkon." Keith stepped closer to him as he replies to the Drule. "However, looks are deceiving, aren't they Throk?"

"Tell me who you really are young man." The Drule ordered as he gestured for his robe that hung by a hook on one of the walls.

Keith signaled Lance to bring the robe to the Drule, and without a word, the lieutenant does as bidden.

"His name is Keith Kogane." Lance answered as Keith gave him death's look. He didn't care. He was tired of his friend's games.

"Kogane...as in Commander Keith Kogane, leader of the Voltron Force? Arch enemy of Zarkon?" The Drule asked with a tone of wonder.

"You ask too many questions Throk." Keith threw back with annoyance.

"You don't ask enough young man. Maybe the question you should ask yourself is what did Zarkon to do you?"

_I'm asking that myself!_ Lance thought, watching the interaction between Keith and the Drule.

"So, allow me to ask," Throk began to inquire calmly, "what brings you to my base, Commander?"

The prince smiled at the question, "Viceroy Throk, it seems that you've been a pesky little thorn in father's plans and I'm here to stop you."

Throk laughed wildly. "Zarkon is smarter than I thought. Now I'm really wondering what the hell Zarkon did to you. Commander, I think you have not chosen your allies well!"

"No Throk. You chose poorly!"

Throk began to pull something out from under his pillow, but Keith was faster. He didn't give the Drule a chance and fired five shots, point blank into the Drule's chest. Throk fell back as Lance watched in horror something he never thought Keith would do.

"What the hell have you done?"

At the same time, the woman screamed in panic. Keith turned the gun on the woman and she quickly jumped out of the bed, hoping to evade the shot. He hesitated for a moment, _I can't shoot her._ He told to himself, surprised by the thought.

Seeing what his friend was about to do when Keith pointed the gun at the woman, Lance ran to her, blocking Keith's aim, "Damn it, don't do this!" He shouted.

The prince stood for a moment, almost in a trance. Lance noticed and took the opportunity to order the woman. "Leave now!" He threw a blanket to her so she could cover herself.

As the woman quickly ran out of the room, Keith jolted back to the present.

"Keith, what the hell is going on? You almost shot an unarmed woman and just assassinated someone damn it!"

"No, I destroyed the weapon, just like I told you." He retorted calmly, ignoring the comment about the woman.

More shock emerged from Lance's eyes, "Keith, Drule or not, you just can't kill someone!"

"I can do whatever I please Lieutenant!" Keith lowered his gun and walked toward the dead body as the alarms bolt aloud.

"We need to leave now!" Lance exclaimed.

"Patience Lance." Keith answered, still looking a Throk's bloody body, studying it diligently. "When have you known me not to have a plan?"

Lance heard the footsteps coming toward the room. Within moments, five guards ran in.

"Drop the weapons!" they screamed.

Lance did as told. Keith, however, does not move at first. Instead, he slowly turned and looked at one of the guards, slightly nodding at him.

At his signal, the guard turned and began shooting the other four guards quickly, none of them even aware of what their own teammate had done.

Once the last body dropped to the floor, Keith walked over to the lone guard, "Congratulations Ensign Troy, consider yourself now Commanding Officer of King's Zarkon's army."

The guard smiled and bowed to Keith, "Thank you Sire. It was a pleasure and an honor to have served under your command."

Lance slowly picked up his blaster, still looking at the two men speaking to each other. Still shocked, he barely heard when Keith addressed him, "Lance, thank you for your help." He told him sarcastically.

Losing his patience, Lance could not hold his tongue any longer. "You son of a bitch! You're a murderer Keith. You remember that!"

"You remember who you work for now, Lieutenant!" Keith exclaimed. "Think this through very carefully. Soon, you'll have a chance to choose which side you hold allegiance to. I suggest you choose wisely."

"What the hell did Zarkon do to you Keith?"

Sighing in frustration, Keith pressed a button in his laser gun, "You know Lance…I'm getting really tired of hearing the same shit!" he finished as he stunned Lance.

Lance fell on the floor, but still managed to stay awake long enough to see Keith come closer and kneel beside him, "Don't worry, I didn't kill you." He smiled at his friend, "You needed the rest anyway."

Lance watched as Keith laughed at him, then the world around him went black.


	27. Chapter 27

Almost at the end…I think…

"It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you." _Million Dollar Baby_

Chapter 27: The End of Childhood, the Beginning of Undefined Reality

Maryann heard the voices of robot soldiers as she crawled inside the wide vents located above the lounge where the soldiers congregated. As she crawled closer to the air ducts, she was able to see three robot guards. Two spoke in Drulian language telling the third something before they left the lounge. Maryann waited rather irritably for another ten minutes or so before the third stood up from a chair and left as well.

Waiting another five minutes to see if anyone would return, she then decided to exit the vents after making sure no more robots would enter. _I need to find a way to the cells._ Maryann silently told herself as she looked around the lounge. Nothing in the room would help her. No weapons, no computer access to any of the dungeons, not even a layout of the cells. The only thing the professor noticed was a door across from where she stood. She walked to it and opened it carefully. Her face dropped in disappointment, _a storage room. I was hoping for something a bit more useful._

She sighed in frustration, "I'm expecting this to be too easy!" she whispered to herself as she closed it. Turning around to view the room once again, the only things she noticed were a couple of chairs and a table with a long burgundy tablecloth over it. Vases full of a red substance sat on the middle of the table. Walking toward it, the professor picked up one vase to inspect it. She smelled the liquid and immediately felt nauseous. _Blood_ she confirmed to herself as she put the vase back where it formerly stood_. I need to leave this God forsaken place!_

Suddenly the doors to the room flew open, forcing her to quickly take refuge under the table. From the floor, she saw the legs of one of the Drule guards. She couldn't tell if it was a human or a robot, until she heard it using the comm. unit to communicate the ending of his shift. _A robot!_

Maryann watched the robot walk over to the storage room. When he opened it, he eyes widened in surprise as she saw him press some type of button inside one of the walls of the room. Suddenly, a wall within the room slid open and revealed another storage room containing robot utilities. _This is crazy! _The woman thought to herself as an incredible idea popped in her head_. Actually, it's insane, but I have nothing to lose at this point._ She continued convincing herself as she watched the incredible events taking place in front of her.

_I have to do it now! _She came closer to the edge of the table, trying to have a better look at the droid toward the back. _There!_ Her eyes focused as they located the robot's hard drive toward the back of the head.

Slowly, Maryann crawled out from under the table and without making the tiniest of noise, began walking toward the robot. She retrieved the knife from her pocket, the only weapon of defense that she had managed to confiscate from the young slave who served her food so many nights before. Her hands shook, but she desperately tried to keep them steady. Making sure the robot didn't hear even the tiniest sound from the fabric of her pants; Maryann suddenly raised her hand and jammed the knife to the back of the robot's skull.

The robot started shaking, its voice shrieking louder. She turned to face the monstrous creature and with all her strength, punched it hard enough for the thing to fall hard onto the floor. It shook for a moment longer before its eyes finally dimmed to complete blackness.

Not wanting to risk any of the guards coming in, she quickly dragged the remains of the robot back inside of the so called storage room area. When both of them were in, the professor quickly closed the door.

Once inside, she took a look at the dead robot on the floor and the miscellaneous parts, including weapons and other devices around the room. Taking a big breath, she began preparing herself mentally. It would take a couple of hours, but if her plan worked, she'd be able to reach the cells easier than she'd expected.

VVVVVVVVVV

The prince stared at the incoming image of Planet Doom through the vidscreen of the bridge.

"Estimated time of arrival in twenty minutes, my Lord," the Drulian guard spoke out. "Should we contact the king?"

"Yes," he answered without looking at him.

The guard began pressing some buttons on the console and within seconds the image of King Zarkon appeared on the vidscreen, replacing that of the planet. "Son, tell me you've brought good news home."

Smiling proudly, Keith stepped up closer to the screen and bowed, "Yes, Father. I've completed everything you requested of me. Throk is no longer a bother to you or your kingdom."

Zarkon smiled in satisfaction.

"And I've seen to it that no one else will _ever_ challenge you again."

At this, the king's eyes widened. "Really? How so, Son?"

"I have a surprise for you father and I will make sure to bring it tonight." The prince confirmed.

Nodding in pure ecstasy, Zarkon only replied, "Thank you son. I also have a surprise for you. Once you arrive, Cossack will give you further instructions. I will see you tonight, at your welcome feast." With that, the king terminated communications.

Keith turned and headed toward the door to exit the bridge when a sharp pain pierced his body and he grimaced. Quickly, he walked over to the nearest chair and used the headrest for support.

Another guard briskly walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Sire, are you alright? Would you like me to take you to your rooms?"

Waiting for the pain to subside, the prince took a moment before answering the guard, "No," He shook his head then lifted himself into an upright position. Looking at the guard with careful eyes, Keith ordered, "I'm fine. Return to your station."

Nodding, the guard returned from where he came. Turning to look at another guard stationed to the left of the bridge, he asked, "Lieutenant… how's Lieutenant McClain?"

"We still have him in the sleeping chamber, Sire. Would you like us to move him back to his room?"

"Yes," Keith nodded, "he'll sleep awhile more after we take him out of the chamber and I want him conscious for tonight."

Moving r to exit the bridge, the guard nodded, "Yes, Sire. I'll make sure to prepare him." He told him before he walked out.

Keith thought about resting, but knew it wouldn't do him any good. _This damn pain!_ He thought to himself, _I must see the witch about this!_ Not wanting to show any more signs of weaknesses, the prince took a seat on the captain's chair then began giving orders to his subordinates as they all prepared for landing.

VVVVVVVVVV

A Drule robot walked out of the storage room, carefully looking to see if anyone would see it. Once out of the room, the next test began. With more care than any other Drule robot would ever show, it slowly opened the door to the lounge and exited, walking steadily toward the entrance of the cells. As it walked cautiously, a second robot came to it. "I thought you were dismissed for the day?" It stated in a questionable tone.

Not knowing how to answer, the robot felt somewhat relieved when a Drule soldier walked up to them and interrupted the conversation, "Good, I'm glad you didn't leave your post. We need more robots to help us in the search for the missing human woman."

The Drule turned to face the robot who had originally asked the question, "You…come with me." The guard ordered. Then he turned to face the first robot, "Stay here and attend his post, you'll be relieved when I give you notice."

Curtly, the first robot nodded; thankful for the duty it was given. The second robot turned before walking out, "Make sure to do the inspection within the next half hour." This time the first robot didn't answer, just turned and walked over to the monitoring stations. Vocalizing an answer would spark attention; acting rather crudely would prove more believable.

Within an instant both the Drule and the second robot left the premises. Turning to the computer console, the remaining robot began its search. First, it conducted a general search, _Voltron Force_ it typed, but the computer only came up with _Entry not found_. Breathing heavily, it then decided to search by individual names, again the screen replied with, _Entry not found_. _They've been placed in a secret location within the confines of the cells_, it thought.

Rethinking its strategy, the robot thought of searching the maximum security cells, _After all, they wouldn't put them with the regular prisoners; they'd need to be careful with them._ The robot then opened the file that contained the map of the entire dungeon and found that the third entry hallway stored the maximum security prisoners. _Well, I guess it is time to do what the other robot told me to do. _It thought to itself before turning and heading toward the third entry hallway.

XXXXXXXXXX

Once inside the maximum security holding area, the robot was greeted by two robot guards. Instinct made it place its hand on its weapon hanging to the side of its hip. Suddenly, it stopped itself. That action would ultimately cause a problem if the other robots saw it.

"Here for the inspection?" The first guard asked, as if it expected it to come.

The robot nodded and within moments, it was given access to the entry of the maximum security area. Once inside, the doors sealed slowly; the robot checked each cell hoping to find someone that closely resembled one of the Voltron pilots.

Within moments, it located the first one; a tall man, black hair and light skin. He seemed to search for something as he studied his confines, unaware of the figure who watched him. He looked tired, run down. A dungeon had a way of killing not only the mind, but the spirit. The robot had to speak to him, _this is it!_ It took a metal card out of the pocket of its uniform and slid it into the key opening. Almost immediately, the door opened and the tall man turned, his eyes guarded, hands folded into fists, ready to attack.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Please, I have very little time; you need to hear me out." The robot begged.

Sven looked at a robot, but for the life of him heard a female voice and a very deep European accent. "Who…what are you?

"My name is Doctor Maryann Marseilles. I am a Garrison officer. I was kidnapped by Zarkon."

Sven's eyes flew wide, "You're the one they've been speaking of for two days."

"Please, we must work together to escape. I'm not sure how to get you out of here, but I'll find a way." She took out a blaster from the inside her uniform and handed it to him, "I could only hide one at the moment, I'll look for more, but hide it well. Also," she also took out what seemed to be a comm. unit. "Here, I've reconfigured the frequency, so we'll be able to contact each other two-way. The batteries are not too strong, so use it wisely."

Sven nodded. "Do you know where Keith and Lance are?"

She shook her head, "No, I haven't found out much; been hiding most of the time and trying to come up with a way to contact you."

Still with shock in his eyes, Sven tried to ascertain the figure in front of him, "I'm just wondering, how you managed to dress up like a robot?"

Sighing and kind of smiling inside the mask, Maryann answered him, "Well, long story short, I stabbed the SOB, cut it apart and now I'm wearing him."

Sven smiled at the joke.

"I have a voice adapter also." She continued, "Problem is, I didn't have the necessary parts to make it work well, so I'll only use if when necessary and for very short answers."

"I don't know how on Earth you managed this Marseilles, but you're the only good news I've had since we arrived in this hell hole." Sven replied, nodding.

Suddenly, they heard voices coming from the hallway. "Quickly!" Maryann roughly whispered, "Hide them!"

Sven did as told, hiding the weapon on his ankle holster and the comm. unit deep inside his pocket. Luckily for him, they had stripped them all of weapons, but the holsters remained with them. He didn't think they would search him again.

Within moments, the cells began to open and a Drule guard walked in with another robot. "Cease the inspection for the time being. Our guests are being moved into new quarters."

Sven walked up, "What do you mean? Where are you taking us?"

"Our king has ordered you to one of the guest suites. It seems he wants you all there for tonight's festivities. Now, out." He gestured to Sven.

The guard then looked at Maryann, "Follow us." He ordered.

Sven did as ordered and walked out of the cell. Within moments, the rest of the team met him in the hallway. "What's going on?" Pidge whispered quietly to Sven.

"Just do what they say. We'll talk later." He answered.

Slowly, the four pilots made it out of the cells and into the compounds of the castle. Each of them curiously wondering what Zarkon wanted of them. Only one felt a bit less nervous after knowing that the robot behind him literally had his back.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lance woke up to very familiar voices around him.

"Hey, he's waking up!" _Pidge?_

"Yep, he's up." He heard another voice.

"Sven?" Lance croaked, "Is that you?"

"It's me buddy." Sven came into Lance's view. "Can you sit up?"

"Yeah, I think so." He replied as both Hunk and Sven helped him sit up.

Lance looked around his surroundings. It looked like a grand suite. There was a large living area where he sat up from the sofa and a couple of rooms within the room they were in. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Looks like your little escapade with the _prince_ paid off. We've been upgraded and put together." Sven replied. Lance's eyes widened in shock.

"Don't look too excited," Allura interjected, "There are guards posted outside the door and Pidge found that they are watching us from different cameras around the room."

"How long have I've been out?" Lance asked as he stood up.

"I don't know. You were here when they brought us in a couple of hours ago." Hunk answered.

"Lance," Allura walked up to him, "Where did you go? What happened?" She asked with a great deal of concern.

"Keith hasn't told you?" He asked everyone around the room.

"We haven't seen Keith since you left." Pidge answered. "But whatever you did, it's being celebrated. They've even given us new attire for the event." He finished rather sarcastically as he pointed to the closet that held their clothing.

Lance paused for a moment, trying to find the way to tell them what he had experienced just days ago.

Noting the look on his face, Sven came closer to him, "Lance? What happened?"

"Keith…he killed some officer from another Drule kingdom. Some guy named Throk. From what I can remember, he somehow defied Zarkon."

"Oh God!" Allura almost yelled, "That's why Zarkon wanted him. He turned Keith into an…"

"Assassin." Lance concluded. Sighing and pausing for a bit, Lance mentally prepared for what he was about to say next, "Listen, all of you. I think its time to for us to consider…" he couldn't finish for a moment as he took several deep breaths. "I have to treat Keith like the Garrison would."

"What do you mean?" Allura asked suddenly switching to a defensive tone.

"It means Princess, that we officially treat Keith as the enemy. He's now considered…a traitor." Hunk breathed out with a tone of despair.

"What!" Allura yelled, "Absolutely not! We need to help him!"

"Allura!" Lance countered back, "It's what we have to do. Keith would agree. Well, would agree if he was in his right mind. Our priority is to re-acquire the lions and leave this place as fast as we can. If we have a chance to bring Keith back, then we will. Otherwise…we leave him."

The room fell silent. All fell silent as Lance's words hit them like thunder, declaring the beginning of a storm.

Sven saw Allura's face, he knew that look and walked over to her, "Allura, we will do our best to bring him back, I promise you that." He finished, feeling a bit more reassured that he had someone on the outside waiting to help them. He just wished he could tell the others, but the room had eyes and he didn't want to take the chance if it had ears as well.

Allura nodded, fighting back the tears, but her tone of voice was defiant, "Lance, if you leave him…I stay too."

"Allura!"

"No! I won't lose him. I won't! Do you understand? He is lost to you, but not to me! _I'm not losing him!"_

"Princess," Hunk tried to interject, but she cut him off too.

"No! I will do whatever I have to in order to bring my Keith home. Do you all understand? I will do _whatever_ I have to!"

Wanting to calm Allura down, Pidge held the princess' hand and squeezed it to reassure her, "Look there is no sense in arguing now." He began looking at Lance. Through his glasses, he sent a warning with his eyes to the lieutenant, telling him, _Stop_. "We better get dressed. Zarkon wants us in the throne room in an hour."


	28. Chapter 28

Happy reading! :)

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."— Tommy Lasorda

Chapter 28: An Emerging Dawn

The sumptuous room, bathed with gold garnishing and crimson-velvet wall coverings, complemented the Tiepolo ceiling. A rock crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the massive chamber lit the path for the Voltron Force to walk in.

As they moved along the middle aisle, escorted by Drule robots, they watched other Drule soldiers who stood by the grandiose golden throne waiting for them. To their sides, they saw hundreds of Drules in the reception area, eyeing them with great disdain. Others, their faces shining with sheer mockery, as they snidely laughed at them. The large bullion stairwell leading up to Zarkon's throne came closer and closer into view.

The five were lead by a group of robot soldiers, one of them, their ally. Once they reached the beginning of the stairwell, the Drule soldiers ordered them to kneel for the king. The five followed the orders begrudgingly. Suddenly, they heard what sounded like trumpets and other strange instruments announcing the entrance of the King of Doom.

The cheers explode like fireworks in the sky. Zarkon smiled at his triumph and the power he had over his people, "Friends of Doom, today begins a new era in our kingdom." The king began his speech. "Today is the first day of the beginning of the success of Doom. Today begins the fear we will impose on the rest of the Crimson Quadrant and the entire Denubian Galaxy!" The crowd grew wild as they applauded.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Lance blurted aloud. A robot signaled Maryann, who stood behind the lieutenant. In order to keep up appearances, she hit Lance in the back, hard, but not enough to cause him major harm.

"Fuck!" Lance exploded in pain. Luckily the loud yells from the Doomites, still enthralled in Zarkon's speech, muffled his yell.

The king continued his announcement to the crowd, "A new dawn and a new leader is among us tonight. He will bring us power and crush those that are an obstacle to us. Bow to your new prince, the new savior of our world, my son…the new crowned Prince of Doom!"

Immediately the crowd grew silent and bowed in unison. The team was forced to turn around to face the crowd and to also bow to the person that walked toward the throne.

As the silence continued, Allura took a chance and lifted her head as she heard loud thumps of boots walking toward her. She gasped at what she saw in front of her.

A dark angel. His black uniform outlined the well-muscled curves of his body. His ebony hair cascaded down his shoulders, crystal; cold black eyes stared directly ahead, seeing no one but the king. His long, black cape looked like wings around him, following obediently in his path. A guard walked behind him, holding something Allura couldn't quite see.

She watched his face however, and she didn't like what she saw. He looked tormented, in pain, possibly sick. Pale, his eyes glassy, she knew he hid his pain, but he still managed to plaster a cold smile on his face for the king.

"Father," he bowed once he reached the stairwell. "Thank you for the honor you have bestowed upon me. I promise to serve you well." He stood a few feet from his former friends and didn't even as much as look at them.

Zarkon smiled, he had never been more pleased…with himself. "Rise my son. You have served me well."

Keith stood upright; he looked at his team as they bowed forcibly to him. He dismissed them without a care, his attention focused back on his father.

"Father, allow me to offer you a gift I've brought back for you from my latest conquest." Keith turned around. "Come," he ordered the soldier that stood behind him. Quickly, the soldier walked up to Keith, carrying what now looked like a golden platter with a lid on top. "My Lord," he acknowledged, waiting for Keith's reply.

"Open it." Keith ordered.

With that, the soldier opened the platter to reveal a most awful site. Even Allura gasped aloud. Zarkon, on the contrary, beamed with pride as he saw the severed head of Throk on the platter.

"Father, make sure you show others what it means to defy you." Keith proudly suggested.

"Thank you my son, you've made me extremely proud." Zarkon voiced, "Hail, to the crowned Prince!" he shouted as the crowd became wild. Lance shook his head in frustration and regret.

Inside the suit, Maryann studied Keith. She knew they had used her technology on the Voltron Commander. She also noticed his appearance; the slight perspiring, the dilation of the pupils, the pale face, signs of rejection.

She had seen these symptoms in certain subjects during testing. None had been human, but the effects seemed to be the same. In the commander's case, however, it seemed to be killing him_._ She groaned inwardly,_ it can't be…they used our own technology against us!_

Zarkon raised his hand to calm the crowd down. "Son, as you know, one day you will be king, but you will need a queen to continue the dynasty. I would like to offer you your betrothed." With that, Starr walked out from a door located on the side of the throne.

Wearing a beautiful black satin, strapless, evening gown, Starr took the breath away from all the male Drules that surrounded her. Diamonds sprinkled over the bust line and trickled down to the waist. Her hair was pulled up and held by a tiara full of diamonds, rubies, and black onyx crystals. Her cat like, blue eyes shined bright against the smoky, dark eye shadow painted over her lids and frosted with a pinkish gloss, her full lips begged to be kissed. She looked regal, dangerous, and her eyes only looked at the prince as she walked down the stairwell.

As she walked toward him, Starr deliberately passed near enough to Allura that the skirt of the gown brushed against the princess' legs. Nearing her destination, she extended her hand to her future husband, a smile on her face that was all for him. The prince took it and pulled her toward him. Keith kissed her, but then heard Allura breathe out in pain as she lowered her head and looked away. He immediately stopped. Turning his head, he looked at Allura and saw her pain. For reasons unknown to him, he immediately distanced himself from Starr by taking a step away from her.

It all happened within seconds and Lance didn't notice the sudden action. All he heard was Allura gasp in pain and his anger made him bolt and hurl himself at his former best friend.

"You fucking son of a bitch!" he yelled.

"Lance! No!" Allura shouted as she tried to stop him, but Keith was too quick.

The prince grabbed Lance by the arms and slammed him to the floor just as Starr rushed to get out of the way. Allura screamed in fright as she watched Lance being body slammed and Keith reaching for his blaster. Zarkon halted the soldiers from interrupting the events and calmly watched the display in front of him as the crowd shouted for murder.

Once on the floor, Keith pushed his knee into Lance's chest as he placed his blaster against the lieutenant's head. Lance didn't cower. "Do it, you fuck! Kill me in the same conniving, sick way you killed Throk. I don't care, pull the damn trigger! Pull it, you son of a bitch!" Lance's eyes grew wild as he stared back at ice black eyes.

Keith tried to pull on the trigger, but he could not. Something deep inside him prevented him from doing so. Zarkon intently watched Keith's battle within himself.

Instead of pulling the trigger, he hit Lance in the face with the butt of the gun. Lance felt the blow and for a moment, his vision dimmed, but he forced himself not to black out. "Take them all to the cells!" Keith ordered the guards. Without question, they obey his command. Two guards immediately pick up Lance, "I knew you wouldn't do it, you fucking prick!" Lance yelled as they take him and the rest of the team away down the aisle.

As the force is taken away, the crowd yelled obscenities to them, some of them grabbing at them and trying to hit them as the soldiers stop the crowd from getting to them. Keith watched the scene, breathing heavily as Starr tried to comfort him.

Zarkon called upon Cossack, who quickly ran up the stairs, while Starr attempts to talk to Keith to make sure he is alright. "Dismiss the crowd and escort the prince and princess to the royal chambers."

"Yes Sire." Cossack replied as he descends and communicates with the royal couple. The king watched as Cossack relayed the message and both head over to the door that Starr entered through. Zarkon then descended down the stairs, following his new acquisitions as Cossack began dismissing the crowd.

xxxxxxxxxx

Once inside the meeting chambers, Zarkon walked over to Keith, putting his hand on his shoulder. He could see the young man's rage and confusion battle together in his eyes. He also saw something wrong with him, he looked sick. The witch had to work fast. "Son, this didn't go as planned, but I assure you that I will make your coronation ceremony the most memorable in our galaxy."

"That's alright Father. Lance shouldn't have acted with such disrespect in front of you." Keith answered solemnly as he wiped at the perspiration forming on his forehead.

The event between the prince and the princess of Arus did not go unnoticed by the king; he felt a sudden unease when he noticed the prince's reaction when Allura responded toward his kissing Starr. Keith hadn't forgotten his past. Zarkon suspected that the prince's feelings toward Allura were growing stronger. _This could pose a great problem_. "Son, why don't you take your bride and rest in the royal chambers?" He taunted, trying to access his suspicions.

Keith stared at the woman who had smiled at him as soon as the suggestion materialized. "No," he flatly replied as Starr's eyes flew open with rage. He smiled mockingly. "I have a headache."

Zarkon's studied him more, "You don't want to spend the night with your queen?"

"I'd rather want to be alone tonight if it is the same with you." Keith rubbed his eyes with the points of his thumb and index finger. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"But Keith!" Starr ran to him. "I can help you relax." She smiled uneasily.

He gave her a disgusted look, "Don't you understand? _I don't want you_!" with that, he turned and left the lounge.

Starr turned to Zarkon, "What the hell is this about?"

Even though the matter worried him greatly, Zarkon shrugged disinterest, not wanting to alert Starr of his thoughts, "He doesn't want you. What am I supposed to do? Get over it Starr, you'll have other opportunities. Go to your chambers for the night. I'll speak to him in the morning."

About to retaliate, she immediately silenced herself when she saw Zarkon challenging her, using his perfected intimidating stare, "Did you want to tell me something Starr?"

"Nothing…my King." She answered before she bowed and left the room as Cossack entered, "Your Majesty, the people have been dismissed."

"Good." Zarkon answered. "I need something else. Have Princess Allura changed into one of the concubine's attire and take her to the prince's room. Offer her to him, and if he denies her…you and your guards can have her."

Cossack smiled at this, "As you wish, Sire." He turned and was about to leave the room when Zarkon stopped him, "Cossack,"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Do you have news on the good doctor? Have you found her?"

At this Cossack stiffened. "No…no Sire. We haven't been able to locate her."

"I'm very disappointed Cossack." The king paused for a moment before he began again, "You have until tonight. If you don't find her, I'll have my son kill you. There is no longer a place for failure in this kingdom."

Cossack nodded, a frightened look entered his eyes, "I won't fail Sire, I'll find her tonight." With that, he left quickly, leaving Zarkon's deadly gaze behind him.

Once alone, Zarkon yelled out, "Haggar!"

At this, the old witch magically appeared. "Yes Zarkon."

"I need to start the procedure tonight. My son is beginning to slip away from my grasp and I can not allow that to happen."

"Should we take him now?" The witch asked.

"No, I need to be certain of something first, but when the time is right tonight, make sure it happens." The king stated before he explained the plan to the witch.

Nodding in understanding, Haggar replied, "I will do as you command, King Zarkon."

VVVVVVVVVV

Lotor laughed in wicked delight when he entered the servants' quarters of Castle Doom. It felt like years since he lived inside the castle, even though he knew only a few weeks had passed since his excommunication. He quickly entered one of the servants' quarters and began rummaging for something to wear. He could not make it through the castle looking the way he did. He was dirty, smelled, his once white mane had grown brown from mud and dirt from the ground he slept on, it was also tangled to no end. Its gloss, beauty and shine withered away like the little respect he once held for his father.

He walked over to a broken mirror hanging by one of the walls and looked at himself. _Thrown out like an animal! _He thought to himself and he felt like one. For weeks, he ate and slept like one. It was during those times that he thought about the culprit that put him in that position. Lotor's face contorted to one full of rage, disgust, and pure anger when the face of his father came to mind.

"Sire, where to now?" Danner asked as he looked around the room fascinated. Although the room was meagerly decorated with old furniture that looked raggedy and broken, Danner looked at with longing. To him, this was the best accommodations he had seen in years.

"Nowhere for you old man, your deed is now complete." Lotor turned. "Help me change. If I am correct, there are a few rooms down this corridor that are unoccupied. You will stay in one of them until I return for you."

"Yes Sire." Danner answered. "Thank you."

Lotor turned to face him; his yellow eyes cold as he looked at him. He walked up to Danner, "When this is over you will live out the rest of your days like a king. This, I promise."

Danner laughed like a sick, demented fool. He didn't care. He was done, finished, his wish fulfilled. Lotor didn't console him. Before, he could fulfill his promise to the old man, he had to take care of unfinished business and that included taking care of another king himself.

VVVVVVVVVV

Starr walked into her quarters, shaking with anger. "How dare he reject me!" She screamed as she tore the tiara off her head. "After everything I've done for him!" The woman knew that wasn't true. If there was anything Starr did, she knew she had done it for herself. She didn't even love the man.

The woman loved that Zarkon was fascinated with his "new son," because that had secured her place in the kingdom. She wasn't going to let the Doom king or anyone steal that place. Not even Zarkon's esteemed prince. He was nothing, just a pawn in Zarkon's twisted plan for preserving his kingdom.

"I need to relax…think." She told herself as she walked to the bathroom. "I'll give him time…maybe even present myself to him a little later." Starr smiled a bit, even though her anger still barked at her.

Once in the bathroom, she filled the large, oval, onyx tub with water. She undressed and just when the tub was filled enough with hot water, she slid in and began soaking in it. She laid her head back against the small pillow on the back of the tub and relaxed, thinking of what to wear to entice her future husband. "Maybe a little wine of Tyrus might help him relax a bit more." Starr smiled as she closed her eyes and began scheming.

VVVVVVVVVV

The five of them were brought back to a cell, escorted by three robot guards, one of which wasn't really a robot.

"Well, at least this time we're together," Lance admonished flatly as he rubbed his jaw. The robot guards closed the cell doors and stood outside, keeping vigil.

Looking at him, Allura shook her head in frustration, "Serves you right! Did you have to challenge him?"

Lance snorted, "What the hell Princess! Did you see what he did to you! I was trying to defend you!"

"He nearly killed you!" She blasted back. Allura then noticed how Lance looked down a bit embarrassed, but still angered. She sighed and hugged him, "I'm sorry. I know what you were doing was to protect me…but you have to remember, it's not him. That's not our Keith. What he's doing…it's just not him."

"What if it is?" Sven cautiously interjected. "Allura, maybe what they did to him is permanent. Look at what he did."

"I know how it looks, but please trust me when I tell you, he's fighting to come back. He is. When he kissed that woman and he heard my reaction," she momentarily smiled. "I saw the pain in his eyes; he knew he had hurt me. Don't you see? He is still somewhere in there! He's fighting it! We have to help him!"

Just then, one of the robot's communicators went off. The guard picked it up. He spoke Drulian so the prisoners wouldn't understand what he had said. Once he finished the conversation, the three guards opened the cell doors and one of them walked up to Allura, pulling her out from the group. The remaining men immediately charged at the guards.

"What the hell!" Lance shouted as Pidge and Hunk tried to lunge at one of the guards. "You're not taking her!" Sven then snarled. However, the guard quickly retrieved a blaster from his holster, putting the nozzle against Allura's head. He didn't have to say anything, the others abruptly stopped.

The guard gave the other two specific directions and within moments the guards had their weapons pointed at the group.

"Where the hell are you taking me? Let me go!" Allura yelled as she struggled against the guard holding her. However, that only made it worse; the robot held her even tighter and walked out of the dungeons with the princess in his arms.

Once out, the other two robots began walking out, taking steps backwards as to avoid an attack if they turned around. Lance noticed that one robot always paid close attention to what the other did before doing it. It happened within seconds, but Lance was shocked to see that the very observant robot turned around suddenly and blasted the remaining guard inside the dungeon.

Immediately, Sven grabbed the blaster from the dead robot and tossed it to Lance.

"What the…"Hunk began to exclaim before he was silenced by the robot.

"Shh! Don't bring any more attention to us." The robot immediately stated.

Lance looked at the robot in shock, _fucking thing sounds like a girl._

The robot took off the mask that covered the face. Lance's eyes widened when he saw the beauty that emerged out of the robot skin. "Who are you?"

"Dr. Maryann Marseilles, Galaxy Garrison." She whispered, her French accent sounding more pronounced. "I've come to rescue you."

For the first time, Lance grinned sarcastically. "Oh yes Doctor, I really need rescuing." He answered nodding.

"Cut the shit Lance. We need to get out of here." Sven broke in.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from taking the princess. As soon as he put the gun to her head, I didn't want to risk..."

Sven nodded, "I know. You did the right thing."

"We need a plan." Pidge offered as a reminder.

Maryann nodded, "He's right and whatever we plan, we better do it fast. I only planned to rescue you from the dungeons; I'm leaving the rest up to you!"

"Right." Lance volunteered as he looked down at the dead robot. His head came up almost at once, "We better start thinking because I don't think the princess has much more time."


	29. Chapter 29

Enjoy! This chapter is a little on the M side. Please read with discretion. Thanks!

"_There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again."_ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Chapter 29: The Return of the Prodigal Son

When Keith arrived to his chambers, he immediately threw himself on to the bed. Physically and emotionally drained, he closed his eyes wondering why the pain in his body continued. It had been a while since he remembered Haggar telling him the pain would go away, but it still lingered and now felt stronger.

The prince sighed heavily, his head ached and he felt pulses all over his body. He stood up from the bed, walked over to the mirror and stared at himself for a moment. He looked extremely tired. Inside, however, he felt sick.

He had achieved a second victory for Doom. He had captured Voltron and annihilated a potentially powerful adversary in just under a few days. What Lotor couldn't do in two years, he had done it in a matter of weeks. No wonder Zarkon was proud. Keith smiled a little remembering how his 'Father' gloated and boasted in front of everyone at the assembly.

His mind shifted again to the members of the Voltron Force when they kneeled before him. He didn't know why, but something felt wrong about the situation. They were the enemy…that he knew. Keith remembered everything about them and a sort of friendship he had with them. But, that felt so foreign to him. As if that life with them had never existed and yet somehow it did. "This doesn't make sense." he said aloud. "How can they be friends and enemies at the same time?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Slightly annoyed, he walked across the room. When he opened the door, he saw a couple of guards waiting in front.

"I thought I said I didn't want any interruptions tonight." Keith irritably told them.

"Our apologies, your Highness, but your father ordered us to bring you a cocktail for the evening."

Keith rolled his eyes, "I said I didn't want any _cocktails_ tonight. Take her back." He replied, not bothering to see the woman who stood behind the guard.

Instead of walking away, the guard continued his taunt. "But sire, are you sure you don't want _this_ cocktail?" He asked as he pushed Allura from behind him and showed her to Keith.

Dressed in an extremely tight black slip dress, Allura stood in front of him. Her golden hair was delicately brushed and hung straight down her back. Keith detected her perfume emitting around them. She smelled of lilies.

Although the perfume was enticing, he somehow remembered that Allura always smelled like vanilla, not lilies. He didn't understand why he seemed to notice something as trivial as he studied the princess. Allura looked at Keith, frightened at first, but her features soften a bit at the sight of him.

"Father brought me Princess Allura?" Keith asked in condescending tone. "I thought she belonged to Lotor." He stated looking at her and smiled at her with mockery.

"She no longer belongs to Lotor. The king ordered that you should have first choice in regards to the princess. Part of your reward for the victory you brought him."

"And if I refuse?" He asked, still maliciously smiling at her.

"The princess will be brought to the guards in the dungeon tonight."

At the sound of that, Allura's face paled and she began to tremble. She noticed how Keith stared at her coldly and darkly, enjoying her fear. The princess knew then that hope was lost for her. She was quickly surprised however, when instead of dismissing her, Keith raised his hand and extended it to her. "My Lady, would you do me the honor of joining me tonight?"

Sighing with relief, Allura took his hand and allow him to lead her inside the room. Once he shut the door, a new terror emerged when he continued to stare at her with those dark, distant eyes that felt so unfamiliar to her. She knew that once again hope was lost.

VVVVVVVVVV

Inside her lab, Haggar prepped the room with all the equipment she needed to start the procedure. Suddenly, her yellow eyes closed as an immense feeling of unease sparked within her. She suddenly felt danger around her. Evil always had a way of coming back, but this time, she was prepared. This time, she wouldn't play fool's games.

Putting her instruments down, she briskly walked over to a cabinet toward the back of the lab. Taking out a key she kept on a necklace around her neck, she opened the cabinet and took out the object that she secretly kept from everyone's knowledge.

It was an amber colored, circular stone held by black metal cord. She didn't know why, but something evil lurked around the castle and it was angry, very angry. The amulet glowed faintly, alerting her the time drew near. She closed it around her hand and drew power from it, knowing she would need it soon. The stone began glowing and she absorbed the power from it. Minutes later, it was over and she reopened the cabinet and placed it back inside.

The feeling of uneasiness never left her, somehow, it now felt worse.

VVVVVVVVVV

"Once again I saved you." Keith stated flatly as he headed to the closet. "I seem to remember that I have saved you from Lotor a couple of times in the past as well."

Rather than answering him, Allura took a couple of steps back to the door. She knew she couldn't get away, her fate already sealed like the door that held her freedom. Somehow, part of her didn't mind though.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

He took out a long robe from his closet and walked toward her, "Don't worry, Princess, I'm not doing anything to you."

She looked surprised.

"Believe it or not, I'm not Lotor. I don't believe in forcing myself onto others as he does." Keith laughed a bit, before he continued, "They come to me willingly."

He wasn't going to count the slave girl from weeks passed or even his night with Starr. He couldn't help that his father had fed him that cocktail that made him act like a complete imbecile. _From now on, I'm paying much more attention to Father's games._ The prince suddenly thought.

Allura breathed a sigh of relief. "Aren't you a bit cocky?" she asked a bit cautiously.

He smiled, but didn't answer her. Instead Keith ordered, "Wear the robe." He threw it at her rather brutally. "I'm sure you're not comfortable appearing to me in rather exposing attire."

She immediately put it on.

"I need to get some rest." The prince turned and headed to his dresser, pulling out some clothes. "I have to meet with some people tomorrow for my next mission."

"Where are you headed?"

"None of your business." he answered her harshly as he looked at her. "Don't think I'm that nice. You can sleep on one side of the bed; I'll sleep on the other. Tomorrow, I'll give a command for you to stay in my rooms if you wish. If not, you can stay in the dungeons with the rest of your friends." Keith shrugged then as he continued, "Although, staying in the dungeons won't protect you from the guards at this point, especially with what you are wearing. They are safer there than you will ever be."

"They are your friends too, Keith."

He ignored her, "I'm taking a shower, for your sake, I hope you're fast asleep by the time I get out." He turned and walked into the bathroom.

Allura stood there, a single tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn't believe what Keith had become. She couldn't believe she was losing him to an evil that clouded his mind.

Then, she realized what he had done. He _had _saved her. _There's something good left in him!_ _He cannot be completely bad_. It was then that the princess realized that she wouldn't allow him to lose himself in that sickly abyss Zarkon had put him in. She was going to save him, no matter the cost.

She wanted to save him. He was her best friend, the one person she would not accept her life without, her reason for fighting the war. He was what kept her sane from the constant living hell Zarkon placed her life in since she was eight. Keith was everything in her life. He had played a part in every aspect of it since he arrived on Arus. Her hopes, her victories, her defeats, her insecurities, her challenges, her joys, her sadness…he knew them all.

Keith knew everything about her and she knew her life would not have the joy that it had if he wasn't there. "God Keith, I love you so much. Why didn't I realize it before?"

Allura had known, she had always known, what she felt for him. She had been afraid that taking things further would result in losing not only the greatest and only love of her life, but her best friend as well. Now, it seemed that she was losing him either way and she couldn't allow herself to lose him.

Now determined, Allura would show him, convince him, that she truly loved him. Maybe, that would break whatever influence Zarkon had over him.

She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. _I am no longer a child _Allura thought as she really took a look at herself in the mirror. "I will let him know. He has to know." She took off the robe and looked at herself in that tight black dress. Prepared to show him who she really was, Allura vowed that Keith would know person she was capable of becoming.

xxxxxxxxxx

Wearing only black pajama pants, Keith walked out of the bathroom as the steam from the shower dangled behind him. He saw Allura standing tall in front of him without the robe he had given her earlier.

He stopped when he saw her, "I told you, I'm not going to touch you." He stoically reaffirmed his statement from before.

"I need to speak with you." she told him, countering his emotionless stare with a hard one of her own.

"If this is about your friends, save your pleas, you will not convince me of anything. Now, let me rest, I have a rather long day tomorrow." The prince walked past her and headed toward his bed.

Turning around, Allura spoke to his departing back, "I want to speak with you about what happened the night of my birthday party."

He remembered that vaguely. Again, another foreign memory that to him lied in limbo, "Spare me the memory."

"I wasn't truthful to you." she ignored him and continued.

Memories of that night filled him and a feeling of disappointment, regret, and shame filled him. He turned to look at her, "You were more than truthful to me. I believe you told me exactly how you felt."

"No, I didn't." Allura said as her eyes began to tear, "Keith, I wasn't truthful. I was afraid to tell you that I love...I love you so much it hurts. I was afraid, afraid losing the best and only true friendship I have had my entire life. That's why I didn't tell you anything."

He started laughing. He didn't want to believe her. Keith kept telling himself that her words had no truth to them, "Do you think I will fall for your stupid games, Allura?"

"It's the truth!" She exclaimed as she watched his eyes darken toward her. He walked toward the princess and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the nearest wall. She withheld her sudden panic; her eyes never left his, "Don't toy with my emotions!" He growled, his eyes spoke of his anger, but there seemed to be something more.

"So you still love me!" her eyes widen at the realization.

His expression changed when he realized that she had seen right through him, "It doesn't matter anymore!" Keith yelled back at her. "Don't you think I know you're trying to save your ass, don't you think I know you're lying!"

"I'm not lying! I love you Keith Kogane. You belong with me!"

He let go of her abruptly and walked over to his bed without looking back at her. Lying on his side; his hand supporting his head, he stared at her for a while before answering her. "Don't put words in your mouth you'll regret."

"No, I'm not regretting a thing." Allura stepped forward running her hand through her neck as if to soothe the pain away. "That's the truth. I do love you Keith, with everything in me, I love you."

The prince smiled wickedly at her, "Really?" He arched his brow, "What if I were to tell you that I've already made another mine? Would your _love_ for me surpass that?" he kept the arrogant smile.

His manner surprised her; clearly, the person in front of her wasn't the man she loved. But she had to look beyond the surface to reach the true man locked away in the dark abyss. Allura hadn't believed anything from the woman who visited her in the dungeons, but Keith now confirmed what she had told her.

He looked into Allura's eyes and felt an overwhelming sadness. He had hurt her; although that feeling felt foreign to him, he suddenly felt guilt burst inside him. However, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of showing her what he felt.

Keith was surprised when her shocked look, like the flipping of a switch, instantaneously left her. "If you did, I'm not holding you accountable. I know that if it wasn't for what Zarkon has done to you, you wouldn't have done it."

"For the record, Father has done nothing to me. What would you know about me, anyway?"

She walked up closer to the bed and firmly told him, "Everything. I know everything about you. I know somewhere deep inside your heart is a place that belongs to me. I know you still love me, as much as I love you."

With a mock and disbelief, he asked her, "You love me?"

"Yes,"

"You'd do anything for me?" Keith continued his questioning, smiling insolently at her.

"Yes,"

"Prove it." he gestured her to come over to the bed.

Allura finished approaching the canopy bed with its blood red coverlet; her eyes locked with his as she knelt beside his feet then moved up along Keith's body to lie beside him. She paid no attention to his insolent gaze as he ran his eyes down along her body. Moving along, he paused on her breasts and her distended nipples before he looked back into her eyes. A brow arched at her sardonically and Allura blushed, but refused to look away. With a sudden force, he lay down on top of her, pushing all of his weight into her as his mouth pushed against hers in a fierce kiss, the force of it so hard, it almost hurt.

VVVVVVVVVV

"So how the hell do we plan on leaving this place?" Pidge whispered as he looked out to see if anyone was coming toward their cell.

After Marianne shot the robot, Hunk and Lance picked it up and hid it in the darkest area of the cell. Pidge began surveillance in case the sound of the blaster was heard beyond the entrance of the cells. It seemed no one heard the blast as no other robots entered the area.

"How many guards are outside?" Sven asked as he walked over to Marianne.

"Two by the entry doors and about three by the console." She answered immediately.

Lance walked toward the them as Hunk stood by Pidge in case he needed backup, "We have three blasters, one of us can take the two by the doors while the others start for the ones at the console."

"We'll need to do it fast, I don't want them to have a chance to press any of the alarms," Sven then warned, "If they do, we're all dead."

"We could crawl up the vents." Marianne offered.

"No," Lance shook his head, "If we leave, we have to do it fast. Besides, that is the first place they'll look for us."

"I managed to hide there for days without suspicion." The doctor countered.

Shaking his head, Sven replied, "You were lucky. Maybe they didn't expect a doctor to think that way. Lucky for you, you thought like a soldier. They'll expect that from us."

"I agree," Hunk turned to join the conversation, "Not to mention that Keith will know exactly what our next moves will be. However we decide to leave this place, we have to do it quickly and cause enough chaos to confuse them."

"Well, I think we can do that, the problem is that we can't leave without a certain person." Lance reminded them.

"Where the hell could they have taken her?" Sven sighed in frustration.

VVVVVVVVVV

The prince kissed her hard and deep; he thought she'd fight him, proving to him once and for all that she lied about loving him. Surprised, he found Allura's mouth opening to allow him to deepen the kiss. This baffled him, but he wasn't going to give up that easily, he was going to prove to himself that the Princess of Arus was nothing more than the liar his father told him she'd be.

He worked his mouth to her neck, kissing her tenderly as he whispered to her. "I don't believe you for a second. Tell me I'm not sickening you." Keith continued whispering as he worked his way up her ear.

She turned her head, granting him more access. "You never have." Allura whispered back enjoying a whirlwind of feelings she never thought capable of feeling.

He tore his gaze away from her ear and let it roam about her legs. Keith opened the slit and ripped her black slip to gain better access, then used his hand to caress her thigh. He looked back up at her; she didn't even flinch, her gaze never leaving his stare. Continuing to look at her, he slid his hand up, reaching higher; she shivered. Keith smiled. _I have you now _he told himself as he kissed her gently again. She whimpered.

"How far are you prepared to take this Allura?" he asked in between kisses.

The princess sighed, but didn't answer him. He sought to fully claim her lips once more as his hand continued to travel north. Unable to gain further access to her, he took the endpoint of her slit and ripped it even more, exposing her panties and firm belly. Slowly, the prince slid his fingers under her panties.

Allura gasped at the sudden pleasure in what came next.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lotor walked out of the servant quarters feeling disgusted by his attire. He had bathed the best he could with whatever the servant had in the chambers, which wasn't much. He wasn't surprised. His hair, although now fairly cleaned, was still missing its luster and definition. It was flat and dry, but at least clean.

He pulled it up with a bandana to hide it, knowing his hair would give him away for sure. Lotor wore a dreary and wilted, white sweater and ripped black pants; it was all he could find, but it would have to do for now. He also carried something hidden within his attire, a knife. He had found it in the servant's quarter. A lucky find, but he was glad he had something to protect himself. _I have to protect myself in my own home, sickening!_ He thought to himself.

As the former prince walked the hallways of the castle, he found his attention directed toward a wing that seemed to be under construction. Hoping to go to his room and change into more sophisticated attire, he diverted for a moment and entered the area under construction.

Walking up to one of the workers, he slouched a bit as to hide his height and began to inquire carefully,

"Is the king adding more suites to this area?"

The worker, who was mixing some cement, didn't bother to look up at him. He just laughed. "Naw, this is going to be the new area for the king's suites. He's giving his area to the prince and princess once they marry.

Lotor, about to jump with shock, remained passive; he couldn't give himself away. "The prince and princess…interesting…" he coaxed to see if the man would divulge more.

"Oh yeah, Zarkon did a number on him for sure, never thought that possible." He then laughed sarcastically. "Her, I knew. She would sell her soul as long as she got what she wanted…she sold it really good to Zarkon."

Lotor wanted desperately to know who these two simpletons' were that took his and Allura's place. _As soon as I find out, I'll have their heads!_ He laughed to keep appearances but, continued questioning the man, who kept mixing the cement oblivious to who he really spoke to. "So, what do you think the king's plans are now?"

"Ha!" The man shook his head as he voiced a sarcastic tone. Then, he lowered it, not wanting to draw any attention as to what he was about to say next. "Well, I know the king is quite pleased with the new prince. Truthfully, he's done more for him in the last couple of weeks than what Lotor's done since his return. My guess…he's seriously thinking of giving him the throne."

Lotor wanted to growl in rage, but he kept it inside. His lips, however, couldn't hide the anger and they began to twitch uncontrollably. About to continue his questioning, he was cut off by the man.

"Look, guards!" He quickly pushed Lotor away. "Get away from me before you earn us some whips!"

The former prince took one look at the guards going over inspections. He noticed that they still hadn't seen him; quickly he turned before raising suspicion, leaving the area and working his way back to his destination.


	30. Chapter 30

_As long as karma exists, the world changes. There will always be karma to be taken care of._ Nina Hagen

Chapter 30: Karma

She moaned in exquisite delight as his finger played between the folds of her soon to be distant innocence. With her eyes closed, enjoying the full pleasure of the feelings she is experiencing, Keith takes the chance to study Allura fully_. She's enjoying it _he thought to himself, _Impossible!_

But he couldn't only see the pleasure on her face, the prince felt it; the wetness of passion enveloping in his own finger as he played with her,

"Scared?" Keith asked her once again, "I can stop now, but if I continue..."

Allura opened her passion glazed eyes and stared at him, "I am not scared of you. I told you. I love you. Let me prove to you that I love you." she finished breathlessly. "Keith, you're the only man that could ever make me feel this way." The princess stated as she tried to kiss him.

Keith stopped and distanced himself from her roughly; looking at her with what she saw were eyes, not full of the rage they previously held, but of pure fright, "Keith..."

"What games are you playing with me?"

"None!" she yelled at him, "What do I have to do to make you understand!"

Slowly she sat up on her knees, facing his stoic form, "How can I show you that I love you."

"You don't..." he trailed off, at a loss for words.

Without a thought, Allura hugged him, held him tightly, afraid he would disappear, "Keith Kogane, you're my best friend and the only man I've ever loved, the only man I will _ever_ love." She looked at him again, "Please understand that."

"Allura, I..."

She cut him off by kissing him softly, but with enough passion to have him relax and hold her back gently. Caressing her hair, Keith pulled her back down on the bed with a tenderness that even surprised him. He had felt so much rage and anger in the past couple of days, this wave of happiness felt so strange to him, yet so appetizing.

The princess closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips working their way down her neck and chest. She felt his fingers undoing the laces on top of her gown and suddenly she felt the air caress her bare chest then within seconds, the warm breath from his mouth sucking on one of her nipples extinguished the coolness around her.

She swallowed hard, enjoying the pleasure that ran through her body. She wrapped her hands around his head caressing his hair as he took the other breast, giving it the same attention as the first.

VVVVVVVVV

Entering his room, Lotor smiled. He looked around. _It has been so long_, he thought to himself as he walked in. He glanced around, everything looked the same, nothing had been changed or altered.

He walked over to his bed, but as the prince came closer, he saw a black dress lying on top, as if it had been thrown there with anger. He picked it up wondering what it was doing there. Then, he looked down and saw a tiara on the floor. Lotor picked it up and studied it. A bit perplexed, he wondered why some woman's clothing was in his room. Then another thought entered his mind.

Throwing the dress and the tiara down on the floor, he turned and walked over to his closets. Opening the door, he gasped at what he saw. His entire wardrobe was missing, replaced by women's attire. Not only that, the clothes were fit for a queen, for a specific queen. These were the clothes Lotor put together for Allura for the day she would join him.

The former prince became livid. The usurper had taken his room and his bride's clothes! There was no excuse, there was no salvation for what the bitch was going to get!

Suddenly, he began hearing noises from his bathroom. Someone was using the tub's jet system. Lotor turned and began walking toward his bathroom. He didn't bother knocking; just pushed the door open with such force, it almost broke off from the hinge.

At this, Starr jumped from her relaxed position in the tub, startled by the noise. She took one look at Lotor and turned to pick up the blaster that she kept by the tub. However, Lotor, too quick for her, retrieved the knife from his side and threw it at her, hitting her on the shoulder.

Starr screamed in pain as she slid back into the tub. Lotor ran and jumped inside with her, retracting the knife roughly out of Starr's shoulder. With his hand, the prince squeezed her neck. Quickly, with his other hand, he took the blaster.

"You!" he yelled. "A whore takes my room? A fucking slave worth _nothing_ takes my quarters and pretends to be some type of royalty!"

Starr squirmed, trying with her legs to find a position where she could support herself, but the water prevented it.

"You're the new Princess of Doom? Father must have gone completely insane." He told her as he squeezed her neck harder.

He took pleasure in seeing her squirm as she scratched at his hand in her struggle to get air. Starr's eyes looked glassy as tears began to fall out. But then, Lotor realized that he needed answers and gradually his grip on her neck lightened. She began coughing incisively.

"Who is this Prince I hear about? Tell me who he is!"

She continued coughing for a bit before she looked into his eyes and answered him with a dry voice, "Why are you here? You don't belong here anymore."

The prince slapped her, hard. Starr's bottom lip began to bleed. "Don't make me ask again slave, who is he?"

"I'm not a slave anymore!" Her cockiness was taking away her thought process. "I am the Princess of Doom. You bow to me now!"

He slapped her again, this time harder and rougher, but she didn't cower to him.

"I think Father has brain washed you too. Or, are you so delusional to think you are royalty?"

The former prince picked her up and slammed her head against the floor. Half her body lay out from the tub, the other half still submerged in. "Now tell me! Who is this new prince?" He lifted the knife and laid it against her neck.

At this, Starr became scared, he could tell from the look in her eyes, "It's Kogane. Keith Kogane, leader of the Voltron Force."

Lotor's anger began to boil even more. "How?" he growled.

"Your father….he stole Garrison technology and used it against the commander…some type of brainwashing device. Haggar did the rest. She implanted the device on him."

_Ah, so that's what he did, the damn bastard!_ "What was your role in this?"

"I stole the device from the Garrison, along with other tasks he bestowed on me. If I served him, he would repay me."

"This is your payment for your services? The position of queen next to my dear friend the commander?"

She tried to nod then stopped when she felt the tip of the blade sink into the skin of her neck, "The commander needed someone to produce an heir for the king's dynasty. He chose me." She answered proudly.

_So he didn't want an heir from me? Fucking asshole!_ Lotor's rage now focused on the woman in front of him. He couldn't help but laugh.

"My dear slave, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your privileges have been revoked."

"You have no authority." Starr hissed out.

"No, I don't," Lotor answered with a tone of regret. "But really…when has that ever stopped me from doing anything?" he finished; he used his free hand and began choking the woman as hard and painfully as he could. Starr fought hard, using her hands to hit him and push his hand away, but it was to no avail.

As he choked her with one hand, he immediately took the one with the knife and plunged it into her chest. Starr's eyes went wild as she felt her insides literally pop out of her. Lotor ripped her chest apart with the knife then gutted her as he ran it down the lower part of the chest and her stomach.

The woman's cries were dimmed by the blood that came out of her mouth. Disgusted, Lotor threw her back into the tub. As Starr's body fell back into the water, Lotor watched her intestines float about the tub. Soon the former princess was a distant memory as her blood mixed with the water and began to bury her inside the tub.

Lotor dropped the knife inside the tub then walked out of the bathroom.

He went back to the closet. Walking in, he began rummaging within it. If they took Allura's clothes, then she must have taken her wedding dress. He thought and sure enough toward the end of the closet he saw Allura's wedding dress in the far corner. There, he also saw his Doom uniform, the one he'd wear at his nuptials to Allura. He made sure to keep both his uniform and her dress together as his way of materializing symbolically his love for her.

He had planned it all out. Everything had been ready for Allura's arrival once he successfully kidnapped her, _but now, this lowlife had worn her clothing. _He thought in disgust. Well, he had solved that problem and he would soon solve the other.

He took a look at his uniform. Lotor didn't want to wear it, but it would have to do when the time was right. If he was going to face his father, he wouldn't do it wearing the slave clothes he currently wore.

The time for vengeance had begun.

VVVVVVVVVV

The prince soaked in the tenderness of her fingers sliding along the hard muscles his back as he kissed her with a hunger that he had felt for years. He dreamed of his princess' touch and now the mere pleasure, her hands on his skin. Never had he felt so alive. Slowly, Keith stopped kissing her and just looked at those glazed blue eyes that screamed pure adoration to him.

Allura was there, with him, offering every bit of herself, with no reservations, no regrets, just love. Light shined in her eyes as he looked at her. A smile formed on her lips and he found himself smiling back at her.

Keith lowered his hand softly to her sweet face, trailing his fingertips along her cheeks and lips. She continued looking up at him, a light, pure and unshakable sparkle potent in her eyes. He lowered his head to Allura's and claimed her lips once more, kissing her again as if it was for the first time.

Not wanting to leave her, Keith forced himself to pull away from her. He stood next to the bed, looking at her beautiful almost naked body, wanting her more than he could think.

He pulled his pants down as she herself disposed of the remains of her black dress. Keith went back to bed, just as she kneeled up and moved in closer. Allura caressed his chest as she claimed his neck. She gripped her lover's shoulders, beckoning him to lie down on top of her. Keith didn't fight it, he softly fell over her.

A feeling of overwhelming ecstasy blanketed them as their body heat collided, commencing a full wage war of passion.

"Allura, God, you're intoxicating!" he whispered excitedly in her ear before he began nibbling it.

She breathed hard, wanting to answer, unable to as she is sucked into a trance that only Keith controlled. He worked his way down her neck, traveling to her chest and breasts nibbling his way down her toned abs and navel area.

"Stop teasing me Keith!" Allura called out with the little strength she had left. He let out a small laugh and travelled back up again sucking both breasts before claiming her lips once more.

He whispered in one of her ears, "Open yourself to me." the prince ordered.

She willingly did. He felt her legs spread underneath him, allowing his body to settle in between them. Keith looked at her wondrously, his intense stare having Allura give him a questionable look. "This will hurt, but I can't help it." He whispered, but before the princess could answer him, he thrust himself against her. She cried out in pain as he covered her scream with his mouth.

Keith didn't move at first, he waited until he saw the pain on her face subside. Slowly, he began to thrust into her as he looked at her face and pushed a bit faster when he saw her face relax with the pleasure. Allura's moans excited him even more and the prince began pushing faster, deeper, until he heard himself moan as well.

He closed his eyes, feeling himself in her, enjoying her wetness, her moans...her! Suddenly, without any warning Keith began seeing memories of the past flash in his mind,

"_That's what you get for not wanting to spend time with us."_

_"Oh really?" Alright princess, get ready to spend some time with me." _

_"Oh, no...don't you even think about it! You can't treat royalty like this."_

_"Yeah, right, you can't play that card with me whenever you see fit!"_

_"No!" She screamed, half laughing. "Where are you taking me?"_

_"When I catch you I'll let you know."_

_The lake_, he thought to himself,_ I remember that._

"_Come on, stand up and lean on me. You're going to have to walk it off." he instructed her as she put an arm around his neck and he held her by the waist. "Ready, come on, let's walk around the area."_

_She giggled, like a schoolgirl, holding him closer to her._

_She had a cramp after our run_. He remembered that day. Allura moaned even louder. Her pleasure bringing him such happiness, it had seemed so long ago that he felt love.

Memories of other happier times flooded his mind until suddenly, in a flash, the faces and voices of his "father" and the witch slashed through his happy memories and they began to slowly vanish from his mind. The voices and faces appeared in his mind so fast he couldn't seem to catch up to them…

"_She'll destroy you!"- "She doesn't love you."- "She'll destroy you!"- "She doesn't love you."_

"_You belong to us!"-"Doom's your home."- Doom's your home."- Doom's your home."_

"_There's work to be done."-"Make me proud Son!"-"Don't destroy your father!"_

"_She doesn't love you."- "She doesn't love you."- "She doesn't love you."- "She doesn't love you."_

Allura noticed Keith abruptly stop. She opened her eyes and found him staring at her coldly, his eyes shining with a monstrous anger. His dark eyes seemed even darker with hate and Allura suddenly felt fear. She had never seen him look this angry.

"You liar!" Keith screamed as he retreated from the princess so fast it startled her even more.

"Keith…what's wrong? What's going on with you?" She demanded. Her eyes full of fright, but she wouldn't allow herself to cower before him.

Allura looked at him; his once passion filled eyes had vanished along with any physical proof of his love for her, a distant memory.

"How could I have been so blind not to see through you?" The prince turned, picking up the robe from the floor she had disposed of earlier.

"I...I don't understand." She stood up from the bed quickly, grabbing the bed sheets to cover herself.

Tying a knot around his waist, he walked up to her and slapped her, throwing her back in the bed.

"Father was right about you!" He yelled with fury. "You are the enemy. You conniving bitch!" Keith felt like his head was about to explode any minute. Tears of pain ran down his cheeks as he gripped his head with both hands as if to stop the pain. "Damn it!"

"Keith, are you alright?" Allura looked at him and wanted to go to him, but she herself didn't feel safe doing it at that point.

Keith screamed in pain, as a mixture of memories, both good and evil ones circled in his mind. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Surprised, Allura raised herself up; this was her only chance, "Keith! Don't shut me out! Fight what's inside you, damn it! He's lying to you! Zarkon's the bastard who's made you this way. You're his puppet Keith. I'm trying to help you! Fight what's inside of you!"

Looking at her with hatred so overwhelming to him, Keith glared at the princess. About to charge at her again, he was interrupted by the door to his room abruptly opening. He turned around to find two Drule guards walk in. Behind them, Haggar.

"What the hell do you want?" Keith's anger transferred to them.

"My Prince, we're here to fix a little problem we have."

"What problem?" Keith snarled back.

"Why you of course." Haggar answered as she raised her staff and sent a shot to his chest that knocked him to the floor. He lost consciousness almost immediately.

Witnessing Keith's fall, Allura attempted to run to him, only to be stopped by one of the guards, who threw her down onto the bed. She tried to fight, but the Drule was too strong for her. The other guard walked up to them, took out a syringe and injected Allura in the neck. She blacked out immediately.

"Good. That should keep her in dreamland for a while." Haggar told the guards. "Call the maids in to dress her. His Majesty wants her perfectly dressed for her funeral!" She laughed.

Turning to Keith, the witch kneeled down, caressing his face, "I'm sorry my Prince, but your Father needs you to be the perfect son and you just lack one thing. Don't worry; I'll fix you right up."

She stood again and began to walk out the door. "Dress the prince and take him to my laboratory. I want to start the procedure in twenty minutes."


	31. Chapter 31

It's been a very busy two weeks! Enjoy, we are almost getting there….Gracias Mertz!

"_Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."_- Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter 31—A Darker Abyss into the Self

Inside the lab, Zarkon stared at his puppet with an actual look of concern. His suspicious were on target. He knew he had seen something transpire during the ceremony between his son and the princess of Arus. Then, those suspicions came into fruition when he watched the prince make love to the princess. He knew the chip would eventually stop working. The commander was slowly coming back and he could not allow that to happen. He would soon put an end to that and to the princess of Arus, who seemed to be the chaos among Zarkon's prodigy.

The witch's procedure had taken a couple of hours, but the king thought that the recovery would be immediate. He sighed in frustration when that did not happen.

"Haggar, I hope you knew what you were doing." Zarkon shook his head in frustration as he looked at Keith's still form sitting in Haggar's lab chair.

"Don't worry Zarkon. Everything is how it should be." She answered him calmly, putting the remaining instruments back in their place on the table next to Keith.

Keith stared at the wall in front of him, seeing nothing, unaware of those around him, completely distant.

"He's been like this since you finished the procedure ten minutes ago." Zarkon argued as he continued to look at him.

"The new chip I inserted has all the elements of Dr. Marseilles old one, but I added elements that he will need to make sure he's aligned with our goals."

"How come he's still in this state?"

"The new program currently feeds all the information that the previous had as well as the new messages we need him to have." Haggar explained. "Right now, it's like he's being reprogrammed, but it should end soon."

Moments passed and Zarkon began to know grow angry. _If that bitch did anything to ruin him, I'm going to break her apart_, he thought as he continued his vigil. Another fifteen minutes had passed. About to argue with Haggar, the king suddenly stopped when Keith blinked rapidly for a couple of seconds and then looked at Zarkon curiously, "Father, what happened? Why am I here?"

Zarkon smiled and patted Keith on his shoulder, "Sorry son, just making sure you were feeling alright. Haggar told me that you were in pain. Feeling better?"

"I feel...different." is all he managed to tell him.

As both king and son continued speaking, Lotor hid by the entrance of the laboratory, listening to the conversation taking place. He had heard part of it from the beginning, but as he felt more comfortable approaching the lab without being noticed, he heard much more.

"Can you come with me for a moment?" Zarkon asked, looking at Haggar. She nodded in approval.

"Sure," Keith nodded as he stood up.

"Follow me son," Zarkon then answered as they began walking out.

The fallen prince quickly hid by the pillars that had no lighting, hoping that as they passed they would not see him. As he hoped, Keith and Zarkon were unaware of his presence. He wished he could follow them, but that would not be a good idea. He could not risk it. Instead, he turned and looked toward the lab again to see what the witch was up to.

Curiously, his eyes followed her as she walked to a cabinet. Using a key, she held around her neck, she opened the cabinet and took out some sort of amulet that began to glow on her hand. Lotor's eyes widened, _The Amulet of Amerlek!_

He had heard the tales of the amulet from the witch herself. It had the power to heal and the power to kill those the keeper of the amulet decided were not worthy of existence. The amulet also had the power to transport whoever wore it from one place to another. Those were the only powers he had heard of! Haggar raved about the amulet whenever the conversation came up, but Lotor never imagined she actually possessed it. _All this time she had it! What are you planning, witch?_

Haggar eyed the amulet as it glowed. Lotor heard a sigh coming from her. "No, no, no…" he heard her softly wail. "I must speak to Zarkon." She immediately told herself as she put the amulet back in its place and closed the cabinet. "Meditation, I must meditate." She nodded to herself as she walked to a room inside the laboratory, her meditation room.

Once out of site and knowing she would not return, Lotor entered the laboratory, he needed to get that amulet; that was his key to revenge. With his redemption growing so near, he thought his mouth might start to water.

Revenge felt better and better as it drew closer.

VVVVVVVVV

Before the team could escape, they needed to find exactly where Keith's quarters were. Once out of the dungeons, they would head there to rescue Princess Allura. Maryann was the only one who could find that information out. She left the dungeons some time ago to investigate and try to get more weapons. Sven shook his head in frustration, "It's been at least a half hour and she still isn't back yet."

"Give her time Sven," Lance tried to reassure him from the corner of the cell where he was sitting, "It can't be easy to do what she is doing."

"I know, Lance," Sven replied, "But, I'm starting to believe we have very little time before the window closes out on us."

Able to see who could come in through the main dungeon doors, Hunk suddenly heard the doors open and watched as two figures made an entrance. "Hey," He suddenly whispered. "Zarkon's coming!"

At this, the four stood up and waited as the Zarkon passed their cell, not even bothering to look at them. Keith followed him as well, all four noticed the paleness of his features and the glazed look in his eyes.

After both passed by, Pidge turned to them, "Did you see him? He looked strange."

"Whatever they are doing to him, it's getting worse." Sven commented; a solemn look surfaced on his features.

"Forget about what I said! Sven, we need to get the hell out of here!" Lance barked softly. "God knows what he's done to Allura."

Sven's eyes widened, "Not now! Not while they are here. We act once they leave Lance. Besides, until Maryann comes back, we can't move. We'll just confuse her."

VVVVVVVVVV

When Allura opened her eyes, she found herself still in Keith's room. Sitting up, she looked around, "Keith?" she called, but found no answer. Remembering the events that happened prior, she gasped and immediately looked down at herself. Surprised, she found herself dressed in a halter-top A-line white dress. Her hair, completely down and perfectly brushed, seemed out of place when moments earlier it looked tousled and in disarray. Immediately, she rose from the bed and walked over to a mirror that stood close to the closet.

She looked perfect, even her face looked angelic with makeup done with the upmost care. "Keith!" Allura called out as she looked around the room. Knowing she would receive no reply, she walked up to the door and attempted to open it, "No such luck. It's locked." She tried again, this time, harder. The door would not budge.

"What the hell is going on here?" she asked out loud. The princess wondered if Keith was alright and why there had even been an interruption. Sighing in frustration, she tried to calm down. _I need to think. _Allura told herself_. I need to find a way to reach the team._

VVVVVVVVVV

As they entered the final hallways of the cells, Zarkon ordered, "Bring the Voltron Force to cell eight." to some of the guards that had joined them in their path.

"Father, I don't understand." Keith looked around, watching the guards immediately turn around and head back to where the force was.

"Patience son, I just want to make sure of something." He answered without even bothering to look back.

Once they arrived to their destination, another guard opened the cell for the king. Zarkon entered, Keith trailing in behind. Once in, they saw a man standing in a corner, "Hello Al-madus." the king stated.

"What do you want Zarkon?" The human yelled, "I told you. I will not tell you where the treasure of Amos is. It belongs to my people!"

"Are you sure about that?" Zarkon asked. "I'm not playing any more games Al-madus. Tell me now or die."

"I rather die than tell you anything!" The man shouted back, before he spat on the floor in front of the sovereign.

The king smiled.

VVVVVVVVVV

Maryann cautiously made her way back to the dungeons hoping that nothing would give her away. So far, she had had luck. She had found Keith's quarters and knew how to get there. However, the place seemed to be swarming with Drule guards walking about. She even witnessed some maids go in with women's clothing and other accessories. If she could have rescued the princess herself, she would have. But with the amount of traffic parading around the quarters, she did not want to take the chance. She decided that not only would it be better to bring the force, it would be the only way.

Making her way back to the dungeons, she noticed some of the guards studying her. This made the professor nervous. They were already suspecting something odd about her posing as a Drule soldier. Later, she watched another Drule guard as he carried familiar looking items. They found the supplies she had hidden in the venting system.

That meant they knew she was still in the castle, hiding in disguise. It would not be long before they would discover her. She had to act fast.

About to turn and meet up with the force, she suddenly stopped herself when she saw them being led out by other guards to another part of the dungeons. Cautiously, she walked toward them and followed close behind the other guards.

After a few minutes, they entered a room and listened to a man yelling. Neither Zarkon nor Keith acknowledged them as they stared at the other man in the cell.

"I rather die than tell you anything, you rotten son of a bitch!" The man yelled out.

"You might just get that wish." Zarkon simply stated.

The king turned to the guards, "Hand my son a weapon." he casually ordered. One of the guards immediately gave Keith his blaster.

Watching the events unfold, Lance suddenly began to move forward. However, Sven stopped him, shaking his head slightly, "Not now." he whispered to Lance. "We can't do anything."

"But..."

"No!" he whispered back with force.

"Son," the king turned to Keith.

"Yes," the prince answered without any feeling.

"Shoot this human."

Without hesitation, Keith walked up to the man and shot him in the head, point blank. He turned back to see a shocked Voltron Force and a smiling Zarkon. Maryann almost gasped, but held her silence, _Oh God! _

"Thank you son,"

"You're welcome Father." He answered, without a hint of emotion.

Zarkon stared at the shocked looks of the team and smiled triumphantly, "He's perfect. Don't you think?"

"You son of a bitch!" Lance shouted as he tried to lunge himself at Zarkon. Immediately, the guards stopped him as Keith was about to lift the blaster and shoot. Zarkon turned to stop him, "Don't do it son. Not yet." He then ordered the guards, "Take them back to their cells, but bring them to the throne room in about twenty minutes."

"Yes Sire," the guard immediately replied as they forced them out of the cell.

Zarkon turned to Keith, "Son, the Princess of Arus is in your quarters, please escort her to the throne room."

Keith nodded, "Yes Father." then walked out of the cell.

VVVVVVVVV

Pidge's hands shook as he played the scene he had witnessed moments earlier in his mind. _Have things suddenly changed? Is Keith is going to remain in the state he is in?_ He did not want to believe that. Pidge always thought that in the end, things would work themselves out, but now…_Keith just killed someone…so callously and he didn't care._ Suddenly, the young man turned when he heard footsteps. Within seconds he watched as Keith walked right passed them and out of the dungeons. The young man shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey, buddy." Hunk suddenly walked in front of him. "It's going to be ok."

"Cap just…"

However, Hunk cut him off, "That was not him," he firmly stated. "He'd never do that. Not our Keith, ok?"

Pidge sighed, _He's right. Keith would never do that._ Then he nodded, "You're right, that's not Keith, but how will we help him?"

At this, Hunk tried to answer him, but could not. Instead, they heard Lance suddenly raise his voice.

"How could he? What the hell have they done to him?" He paced around like a raging caged animal.

"I don't know," Sven answered, "The best thing we can do right now is concentrate on getting the hell out of here."

Lance turned and nodded, still frustrated, "Where's Maryann?" He suddenly asked.

"Right here," she answered almost in a whisper, "I saw the entire thing, but had to walk back with the guards. I came back as fast as I could. Here. I stole some more weapons from the armory closet on the way back here." She told them as she handed two more blasters to Hunk and Lance.

"Did you find out where the princess is located?"

Maryann suddenly fell quiet as she saw the King approaching. When he saw the supposed Drule soldier by the cell the Voltron Force housed, he stopped. Zarkon studied the supposed Drule android at first, Maryann held her breath.

"Dispose of the garbage we left behind in the other cell." He mentioned referring to the dead captive. "Make sure to deliver him to his people…in pieces."

Maryann nodded and immediately saluted the King. Zarkon then looked over at the force and smiled sarcastically. "You must be wondering how I will return you back to the Garrison…will just have to see, won't we?" The king laughed before he walked out.

They continued their silence for a few moments to make sure no one came back. Ignoring the king's remarks, she continued with the previous conversation. "She's in the commander's room." She paused, "The room is heavily guarded. I couldn't get through without detection. I also saw some maids walking in the room. They carried women's attire. I'm sure she's still in there. Maybe they are preparing her for something."

Hunk shook his head, "I don't think she was any better off in there with Keith than if she was with Lotor." He sighed, "How are we going to get the princess now?"

"I have a feeling she'll come to us." Sven stated with a tone as if he was thinking something.

"What's on your mind?" Lance suddenly asked.

"Whatever Zarkon's planning…it's going to take place in that throne room."

"That means we need to act fast." Lance replied. Sven nodded curtly.

Pidge walked up to both men, "Guys, after we get Allura, how will we get Keith?"

"Pidge," Sven looked at him solemnly, "I don't know if we can." he finished.

Pidge's eyes widened, "We can't leave him here!" he almost shouted.

Lance immediately went over to the young man, "Pidge, even if we are able to, how do we get the old Keith back There's nothing in him anymore that resembles the man he used to be."

"It's like he's brainwashed," Sven commented.

"He is." Maryann interjected as she looked around to see if there were any other guards around them. "In a matter of speaking."

"What do you mean?" Sven asked walking up to the cell.

"It's a chip that was implanted into Keith." She began, "I created it for the Garrison. The original purpose was to insert them into Drule prisoners and modify their behavior…basically, to use them to infiltrate Drule territory. The thought was that they would make great spies. Zarkon stole the prototypes a few weeks ago. I have no idea how he even found out we were creating something like that. Now, I know why he took them."

Sven wanted to know more, but he knew time was a huge factor. "Can we save him?"

Maryann nodded, "Yes, there's a Garrison physician who can retract it."

Lance turned immediately, "Sven…"

"I know. We save them both."

Maryann heard the main doors of the dungeon open, "They're coming!" she whispered, "Hide your weapons well."

"At my signal, fire. Stay close to me." Sven quickly whispered to her. She did not know what he meant, but she prayed she would know when the time was right. She then turned and assumed a post as is she was on guard duty.

Three soldiers came in and pressed the codes on the keypad by the wall that opened the cell. "Come out!" they ordered as the force began to walk out. Once the cell closed, Maryann stood beside Sven, who was the last one out. "Walk ahead of us." The robot guard ordered as the other two soldiers lifted their weapons and pointed at their backs. Maryann did the same and stood next to the guards, but in behind Sven.

All of them began walking out of the dungeon to the throne room, where their fates awaited.


	32. Chapter 32

Happy Sunday! Here's 32!

_Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance.-_Richard von Weizsaecker

Chapter 32: Sweet Redemption

Allura played with the keypad by the wall, trying to see if she could manage to open the door. For probably the millionth time, she saw the red button on the stupid keypad light up, suggesting that she had inputted the wrong pass code. She tried screaming earlier, but no one came to her aid. She knew no one would. Nothing in the room could harm her, nothing yet, at least.

The stupid red light once again popped in front of her eyes, "Damn it!" the princess blurted out, frustrated at yet another failed attempt. She knew that millions of combinations existed, but she couldn't find any other way to escape from the room. As futile as it seemed, it was the only thing she could think of.

She tried another code and the door opened. "Yes!" she almost yelled excitedly, but immediately her smile withered as someone entered. "Keith?"

Staring back at her were the coldest, black eyes she had ever seen.

VVVVVVVVVV

Lotor couldn't contain the sudden wave of exhilaration he felt as he walked back to his room. No one ever dared to touch anything in the witch's lair, but then again, there was never anyone as brave as him to do it.

After ridding himself of the atrocious whore who occupied his room for a short time, the prince began thinking that it would take more than a blaster to stop his father and his merry band of followers, who would surely put him down at Zarkon's orders. The blaster he possessed would only keep him alive for a short while. He needed to be smart. He placed his new clothes on the bed and walked out of the room, his destination, the witch's laboratory.

After watching the witch disappear into her meditation room, he went to the cabinet. Lotor thought he'd have problems accessing it, since he didn't have the supposed key the witch held on her neck; he was wrong. In actuality, the prince found that the witch used some type of illusion to fool anyone who dared try to access it. Once he looked into it, he found that the cabinet could easily be broken into. He put the gun on silence and blasted the thing open. The amulet immediately began to glow. He took it without reservations.

After he made sure neither his so called father, nor the usurper of the commander, would come back, he returned to his room. Now, Lotor had everything he needed to complete his plan. Inside the bathroom, he saw the pool of red water on the tub. He snorted in disgust. _A whore's blood in my dwellings. _He would have rather bathed, but instead used the shower. He had to look perfect to meet his father. It was time for him to become exactly the prince Zarkon wanted him to be. Zarkon wanted him to succeed and he would, at the king's cost.

VVVVVVVVV

Inside the meditation chambers, Haggar's chanting grew wilder as she tried to seek the source. _Evil is present. Evil is near!_ She kept thinking.

Then, she began to foresee the events that would soon take place. _Evil is here!_ She continued her prayers only to find that the vision told her all. _Evil is present within the confines of Doom._ She told herself. Then she saw another image, death. But whose? _Powers that be, open my eyes! _

Then the powers that be showed her all and her black heart began to pump faster than it ever had in her life.

VVVVVVVVVV

After the discovery of items in the vents by the Drule androids, Cossack sprinted to Starr's room, not only to notify her, but also to seek her guidance. He now knew that the professor walked among them in disguise. Later in the night, he was notified that guards had also found the remains of a Drule android, practically skinned of its suit. The woman knew how to use a knife. This didn't sit well with Cossack. She had outsmarted, and was still outsmarting, an entire army of Drules. As he walked along the hallways and droids passed right by him, he questioned if anyone of them was her. _When Zarkon finds out, he's going to slaughter me_, he thought as he continued on his path. The Drule needed to find the woman soon or his life would surely end tonight. Zarkon always kept his promises.

Cossack needed Starr. The woman was extremely too smart for her own good. But for his sake, at the moment, he needed her intelligence. Although just a concubine to most, Cossack really knew the caliber of Starr's capabilities. The slut was beyond evil, a complete demon whenever she wanted to be. Cossack loved that about her. A combination of beauty and malice all wrapped up into a perfect, succulent body.

She used everyone, even him a couple of times, when she needed favors. Cossack didn't care, he used her right back, in every way he could think of. All of a sudden, the Drule found himself craving her. And, since the prince didn't require her services, _Perhaps, I can request hers tonight._ _Damn bitch owes me for cleaning up her mess after she killed the Garrison turd when we captured that bitch professor. _There would be time for that later in the night, for now, he had to find the human woman.

When he arrived at her room, Cossack pressed the access code to enter and without any regard for her state of being, walked in. He found her clothes thrown on the bed and heard the shower running. _If I had more time_…he told himself, but shook off the feeling. _Later,_ he reasoned. The Drule headed to the bathroom and abruptly stopped inside the doorway when he saw the scene displayed in front of him. The tub, filled with water and blood, held the remains of what seemed to be the woman he craved only minutes earlier. He couldn't see much behind some of her long blond hair, mixed with the blood, floating on top of the water. Cossack turned his sights to the shower, which held a familiar silhouette of a man. When he saw the long wet hair run down the man's back, he knew immediately who it was. _Lotor! How the hell did he make it back?_

Things were now coming to the point of complete chaos. _Starr is dead, the professor could be anywhere at this point, and now Lotor is here? Zarkon needs to know._ Cossack thought about killing Lotor at that moment, but even he realized that he was still the king's son and the last thing he wanted was to die at the hands of Zarkon for killing the king's own blood. Slowly, he walked back out the bathroom and out the door. He had to contact Zarkon and fast.

Taking out his communicator, Cossack contacted his first officer.

"Where's the king?"

The voice on the comm. answered, "He's in the throne room, Cossack."

The Drule began walking the hallways, toward the throne room, "And the woman, have you found her?"

"No, not yet. We are stopping all the androids and checking them."

"Good. Keep doing it. I want the woman found! No excuses, got that?"

"Yes sir!" the voice answered firmly. "I'm heading toward the androids that are taking the Voltron Force to the throne room."

Cossack didn't understand why the force was being taken to the throne room, but he figured he'd find out soon enough. What the Drule did realize was that he needed to find the woman before Zarkon's interest came back to her. Cossack continued toward his path. Tonight was going to be a hell of a night.

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith dragged Allura by the arm through the halls of the castle. She tried to fight to get away from him, but he held her tightly. When she looked at him, he seemed to be perspiring and in even more pain than when she last saw him. Allura knew something was wrong with him, but in order to help him, she had to get away from him.

"Damn it, Keith!" She screamed. "Let me go! Can't you understand we don't belong here!"

The prince didn't answer her. He continued toward his destination, without paying attention to her. Allura just stared at him, finding nothing of what she had seen earlier. She knew her Keith was coming back, but somehow, they had managed to take him away again. This was a completely different man.

"Keith, please, snap out of this!" The princess continued as she used all her strength to break free. He stopped, gave his a frozen stare that frightened her for a moment, but she stood firm. "You will release me right now!"

"I can't do that. I must take you to Father!"

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

It was then she saw a sudden, cringe of pain on his face. A wave of dizziness followed and he almost lost his balance. She reached to catch him. Grabbing his hand, she noticed how clammy they were, his face paler than before.

"Keith!"

"I…I must take you to Father now." He ignored the pain and grabbed her by the arm once again quickly heading toward the throne room.

Entering the chambers, they were greeted by Zarkon, who sat on his throne.

"Well, well…what have we here?" Zarkon gloated.

VVVVVVVVVV

The four members of the force, along with the Drule robots, continued their path toward the throne room. Once they reached a clear area where no other soldiers walked about, Sven, about to give off his signal, was stopped by a Drule soldier that appeared from one of the hallways. He stopped the group from continuing along their path.

"I need to detain you officers." He roughly told the androids. "We're conducting a search for a possible intruder."

Maryann stayed still, but her heart began to pound. The Drule continued his inquiry and walked up to the first droid. "Come forward robot. You others, guard your prisoners well." The Drule went on and studied each android, making sure that, in fact, were not a decoy. Maryann's heart pounded harder as her turn drew nearer. Finally, her turn came. The others waited with anticipation as their time drew close for action. "You, come!"

The professor then walked and stood right in front of the soldier. As soon as the Drule touched her, he immediately knew. His eyes turned darker as he stripped off the mask from Maryann's face. "Insolent bitch!" he yelled.

It was then Sven took his chance, "Oh, the pain!" he bent forward, faking a spasm as the droids all focused their attention on him. It was at the point that the Drule soldier shifted his focus for just a few seconds. However, that was enough for Maryann.

_The signal!_ She quickly drew her gun and fired at the soldier just as Sven quickly turned and fired his gun right in the robot's gut. The robot fell down as Lance took his chance to blast the robot in back of him. The third robot, seeing the Drule soldier down at the hands of Maryann, drew its gun toward her, but Hunk lunged at him, dropping it to the floor while Lance immediately went for its blaster. Pidge punched the robot in the face, shutting down all circuitry.

"Now what?" Maryann suddenly asked when the fight finally ceased.

"Now, we head to the throne room." Sven ordered. "Lance, you and Maryann will need to find where the lions are being kept." He began searching the robots and pulling out their comm. units. "Set the frequencies to 4759.3, we'll communicate from there. Hunk, Pidge and I will go get Keith and Allura."

"Right." Lance immediately responded. He turned to Maryann, "Ready?"

She nodded, "Let's go."

VVVVVVVVVV

As Lotor took one last look in the mirror, he smiled. He saw the man that he was before, but now with a purpose. About to leave the room, he heard a beeping coming from the nightstand near the bed. He walked over and found a comm. unit beeping. "Probably the whore's." he said to himself. Lotor picked up the device and read the transmission.

_Need you on active duty. Scientist in the castle, must find her. Zarkon will ask for her once he's done with the Voltron Force in the throne room._

"Ahh, so that's where Father is at. The throne room." Lotor nodded. "Well, what a perfect place for him to die, the very room he favors in the entire castle." The fallen prince smiled. "Well, Father. Let's end that pathetic existence of yours once and for all."

VVVVVVVVVV

As the remaining part of the Voltron Force made their way to the throne room, they ran into a familiar figure. Cossack appeared from a side hallway, apparently heading toward the same destination.

Without a word, Sven signaled Hunk and the big man nodded. Hunk slowly, and without making any noise, began walking toward the tall Drule, making sure he'd be ready should the feign turn around on him. He withdrew his blaster and when the time came near, he pointed it at him. "Hey you fuck, time for payback!"

The Drule turned around only to feel the sting of the blaster on his chest. He tumbled backwards then fell to the floor. Cossack was out cold.

"What do we do with him now?" Pidge asked.

"We don't have anything to tie him up with, so nothing." Sven shrugged. "We'll just have to leave him. Hopefully, he'll be out for a while."

"How about if we hide him behind that pillar?" Pidge suggested, pointing at one of the thick pillars that decorated the hallway. "It's not much, but it may buy us some time and hopefully anyone else might miss him."

Nodding, Sven smiled, "Works for me. Hunk, help me out here." He turned to his much bigger friend for help. Once, Cossack was quickly moved behind the massive pillar, the men cautiously looked around for other Drules; they found none, for the time being.

"Come on. " Hunk suddenly ordered. "We still have two long corridors to go and we need to get to Allura fast."

"He's right." Sven concluded. "Come on Pidge. Let's go."

VVVVVVVVVV

Upon entrance to the throne room, Allura yanked her arm from Keith's grip once again only to face the other demon in the room as he sat upon his throne.

"I want to be returned to my team. Now!" She demanded of the Drule king.

"There is no team anymore. At least, there soon won't be. " Zarkon laughed wildly. "My son will make sure there won't be a Voltron, an Arus, or even an Allura!"

"He is not your son! Look at him!" Allura yelled back, unfazed by the king's threat. Zarkon shifted his gaze from the princess and finally noticed Keith's paleness and sudden sweating as she continued, "Can't you see you're killing him?"

Zarkon looked at the prince, but seemed undisturbed by his appearance as he retorts, "Don't you worry about him, Princess. He's alright. Nothing that a little of Haggar's magic can't cure. Son, come forward."

The prince grabbed Allura's arm once more and dragged her toward the stairs leading to the throne, "I've done as you've asked Father."

The king stood from the throne and walked down toward them. "You've done well my son." he told him, smiling as he took Allura from him.

"No!" she yelled, but that made him tighten his hold on her

Keith bowed to his father, "Thank you…," he answered uneasily, the pain in his head growing even more. He tried to ignore it, but his features told otherwise.

"Are you in pain my son?" Zarkon asked.

"Yes." The prince nodded.

"Don't worry. Your task will be over soon, only then will you receive the help you need for your pain. Now, complete your task." The king held Allura out in front of him, holding her tightly so she could not escape. "I want you to kill her Son. Kill the Princess of Arus!"

"Yes Father," Keith replied shakily as he took out the blaster.

Zarkon whispered to the princess in her ear, "I want you to die in front of him. Nothing will bring me greater pleasure than watching you die by the hand of the man who, ironically, has saved you so many times before." Returning his gaze to the prince, Zarkon ordered, "Kill her Son! Kill her now!"

Keith looked directly into Allura's fear stricken face. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, "I forgive you Keith. I love you! I love you!" She yelled out.

She closed her eyes tighter, not wanting the last image of her life to be the man she loved, killing her. Allura wanted to remember him for who he had been, not the person Zarkon created.

Keith's hand shook, like a rattlesnake shaking its tail. He felt the drips of sweat slide down from his temples to the sides of his flushed cheeks. Her tears, her voice seemed like daggers stabbing his heart. Confused, he wanted nothing more than to please his father, but something held him back. Memories floated his head. They weren't clear, he didn't understand them, but for some reason, killing the Princess of Arus felt wrong.

"Kill her!" Zarkon demanded once again, "Don't you disappoint me!"

His heart felt like rupturing from his chest. "This...is ...wrong, Father." he stated, shaking his head.

"Haggar!" Zarkon yelled. Within seconds the witch appeared by his side. "You didn't fix a damn thing in him!"

"He's fighting it." Haggar countered as she studied the prince.

"Do something!" The king shouted. "I won't allow him to ruin this. She will die by his hand!"

Allura fought to get away, but Zarkon was strong and he wouldn't allow her to escape his grip. She screamed, "Keith!"

The prince's hand shook even more, the pain grew intensively stronger as he broke out in a frightful sweat.

The witch raised her staff and it began to glow. Keith closed his eyes as voices called out to him, '_Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!'_ He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Kill her now Son!" Zarkon's voice thundered.

'_Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!'_ The mantras grew louder and wilder in his head until it overtook him and the memories disappeared.

"With pleasure!" Keith exclaimed unemotionally as he opened his eyes, raised his hand and aimed the gun at the princess.

Allura took a deep breath, quickly and silently she prayed that those left behind would find their way home. Just as the princess was about to say Amen, she heard the shot.


	33. Chapter 33

Here is the next one! Hope you like it!

_The essence of a tragedy, or even of a serious play, is the spiritual awakening, or regeneration, of the hero._ -Maxwell Anderson

Chapter 33: The Sandman Awakes

As they continued running down the hallways and dodging guards by hiding behind the massive pillars that decorated the castle, the doctor took her first opportunity to briefly look at Lance, "Where are we headed?"

"Launching bay…I think?" Lance answered, looking around their location. Memory was key during times like these. He remembered vaguely the area from their short stay two years before when Zarkon captured them before they had arrived on Arus. "I think we're heading in the right direction."

"How would you know?" Maryann asked. "It's not like you visit here all the time!" She whispered in frustration.

"Look smart ass. I never said I knew where we were going; I only said I thought I knew." He replied, feeling slightly annoyed. The lieutenant surveyed the area and heard what seemed like echoes of rumbling crafts. Trying to follow the sounds, his eyes gleamed when he saw a corridor that didn't look anything like the ones they've walked past. "I know we're headed the right way. Look at that hallway to the left."

The professor looked and noticed the difference in the walls. They were made of metal; gray all around. "The hallway is different."

Nodding, Lance agreed, "This is the section that breaks away from the castle. It has to lead to the launching bay. The lions must be there." He turned and saw she no longer had the mask on. "Please tell me you brought the mask with you?"

"Yes." She answered holding the thing up to him. "I don't know why, but I brought the ghastly thing. Thought we might need it." She shrugged, "Besides, it won't be long before we hear the alarms go off. I'm surprised they haven't gone off already."

"I know. We better hurry up."

They slowly walked toward the corridor but almost immediately he pulled her back behind the last pillar in the area when he saw four Drule soldiers walk out of two large double doors at the end corridor. Lance kept the professor close to him as they waited for the guards to walk away from the area. With his hands on her slender body, he felt her small waist, despite the droid suite that covered her. He also noticed the soft features of her face and took careful attention at her plump, full cheeks. Quite beautiful in appearance, he suddenly wondered what the professor looked like in a summer dress instead of the horrendous suit she wore. _Damn it! I don't have time for this McClain._

Maryann noticed his strong arms and upon closer inspection found his face completely adorable. His eyes, however, mesmerized her. Hazel in color, but she knew that sunlight would turn them amber and she wondered how beautiful those eyes would look when the rays of sun touched upon them.

Their sudden feelings broke, once the unexpected foursome was out of sight.

"Come on," Lance suddenly whispered to her as he slowly guided her out.

"Well, I'm sure that place is swamped with Drules inside." Maryann sighed as reality came back to her mind. "How the hell will we get in?"

"You're going to have to find us a good hiding place." Lance suddenly smiled.

"What do you mean?" Maryann asked, almost flabbergasted. "You can't expect me to go in there!"

Shaking his head he answered, "No, I expect an android to go in there." The lieutenant answered as he pointed at the mask Maryann held in her hand.

Sighing, she nodded, "Right."

Putting on the mask, Maryann walked over to the double doors and pressed a button on the side of the wall. The doors opened and she walked in watching as Drules and droids that worked on various crafts. Oblivious to her, they continued working as she began scanning the area and saw where the lions stood.

Lance, waiting outside, felt as if he had waited an eternity before she walked out again. "What did you find?"

"They're in there alright," the professor confirmed. "There's also some boxes, I'm assuming, filled with parts, it's the best place to keep you out of sight until we figure out how to get into the lions."

"Lead the way." Lance nodded as he began walking toward the double doors.

"Wait!" Maryann stopped him. "There are cameras everywhere. You'll be seen."

Sighing in frustration, he answered, "Fuck."

"I have an idea."

"What?"

"Feel like playing the part of a Drule soldier?" She asked, giving him a little smile.

VVVVVVVVV

Zarkon's yellow eye widened as dark eyes stared back at him stricken with horror. Keith never dropped the gun. Instead, with his opposite hand, he touched the left side of his chest and felt the wetness on his uniform. Then, he saw blood on his hand. Bathed in sweat, cold, and now shocked, the prince looked at his father with surprise in his eyes and whispered, "Father…" before he fell to the floor.

The king watched in horror as his most prized possession dropped to the floor with a loud thump. The body didn't even twitch, but it did reveal the person standing about a hundred feet behind.

"No!" Zarkon yelled in anger as he saw Lotor smiling sardonically at him.

"Keith!" Allura shouted almost at the same time as Zarkon yelled in denial. She tried to go to him, but the king wouldn't loosen his grip on her. "Damn it let me go!" She yelled, but Zarkon ignored her.

"I told you I'd be back!" Lotor walked to the throne glancing at Keith's still form lying on the floor as he passed him. "Pity," he laughed. Triumphantly, he looked up at his father with a devilish grin. "What did you think? That I'd die out there? That I wouldn't seek revenge? Oh, Father, you underestimated me." He continued as he raised his gun toward his father.

Haggar studied the scene around her, saying nothing, waiting.

Lotor then turned his sights on the princess. "Don't worry Allura. I don't intend to hurt you. Let her go Father." He ordered. Reluctantly, the king did as told and Allura, about to get away from both of them, was only able to move a few feet away when suddenly, she was stopped by Lotor. "Don't think about it Allura. You will stay right here." She stopped, but her eyes kept moving to the still form on the floor.

"Aren't you going to do anything about this Witch?" Zarkon ordered.

Haggar continued to do nothing but watch.

"Seems like your witch is no longer playing your game." Lotor smiled. "You know Witch, don't you?"

She only nodded.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Zarkon flashed the angriest look at the witch.

"Wouldn't you like to know." The prince laughed, not bothering to ask a questionable tone to the statement. "But you won't."

Smiling sardonically, Lotor didn't waste any time as he simply fired his weapon multiple times. Allura screamed and turned, trying to protect herself.

One of the blasts hit Zarkon in the head; blood splattered over Allura's dress and Haggar's robes. The ruler plummeted down the stairs. When he landed, his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

Haggar's eyes widen, "It's not over yet."

"Of course not, you fucking bitch!" He yelled. "Don't think I don't have something for you!" He retrieved the amulet from his pocket and showed it to her, "I'm not as stupid as my father believed me to be."

Haggar's yellow eyes widen, "The amulet." her eyes not leaving the piece he dangled in his hands.

Lotor laughed wildly. "All these years and you had the thing all along. What did you plan on doing with it Witch? Too bad you won't get to know." He finished as he put his blaster back in the holster.

"It only works if you know the words to the spell." she stated carefully.

"Nitchatsa Malaferindus!" He yelled as the amulet began to glow. Haggar screamed as the amulet continued glowing in front of her. Lotor walked toward her, grabbing Allura tightly by the hand "Watch this Love, after she's gone, you and I will take over the galaxy. You and I will become one."

"No!" Allura screamed, trying to get away from the demented being who had grabbed her. Never had she seen Lotor look so crazed. He had more hatred in his eyes than she had ever seen. "Let me go Lotor! Please!"

The prince ignored her, and kept his eyes on the witch, "I'm sending you back to the realms of hell for what you did to me you hag!" The amulet began to grow brighter, a strong light shined around the room as he began chanting the words over and over again.

Allura watched in horror at the events taking place in front of her, and at the same time, tried to find a way to escape.

VVVVVVVVV

Both Lance and Maryann came up with a quick plan to gain entrance into the launching bay. The professor didn't know if in fact it would work, but Lance convinced her that if it didn't, he'd make sure to rescue her. From inside the mask, she rolled her eyes, _He better bring his ass in here if I get caught!_

Taking once again a long look at the bay, she spotted a soldier who supervised some androids working on a craft. When he walked away from the group, she followed him closely behind as she drew her gun. With his back turned to her, he never realized when she had put the blaster into his lower back.

"One word and I'll shoot you dead." Maryann whispered in his ear.

The soldier said nothing and followed directions.

"Now, you keep those blue hands away from your blaster and walk out the launching bay very discretely. I'll follow you close behind, but if you do anything to draw attention, I won't hesitate to end your life. Agreed?"

The Drule nodded.

"Turn around." She ordered as he began walking out.

Lance smiled when he watched both droid and Drule walk out. "I can't believe that you pulled it off."

"Me either." She answered, taking her mask off.

Turning to the guard, Lance pulled him behind the last pillar, which was the best secluded place he could find. "Hands away from the blaster." Lance commanded as he then took the blaster and the Drule's comm. unit.

"You can kill me, but the Drule supremacy will rise against you." The Drule finally spoke. His words stung with hatred.

"Yeah, well, wishful thinking asshole!" Lance told him before his knocked him out. "Come on, help me." He then told Maryann as he put the Drule on the floor and began taking off his clothes.

Several minutes later, they waited for the exact moment and hurried inside when no one noticed. They hid behind the containers that Maryann had noticed earlier.

"There they are." Maryann whispered as they both took a look at the lions standing just a few feet away from them.

Lance nodded, "We'll need a distraction. If I can get to my lion, I can definitely start a good party. But I'll need a diversion."

Suddenly, Lance heard his comm. unit beep, "Lance, did you find the lions?" he heard Sven speak.

"Yes in the docking bay. Can't talk. Will come to you." he whispered before cutting communication.

"Well, how are you planning to do that?" Maryann asked when she saw him put the unit away.

"Not me. You. I need you in another lion."

VVVVVVVVV

Keith felt the life oozing out of him like the cold, wet blood leaving his chest. He tried desperately to keep from losing himself to the darkness, but the princess' screams prevented him from doing so. Her voice was the only thing keeping him awake. She sounded terrified, angry_. 'Allura? My Father? No, he's not…Allura…she's in danger..."_ Then Keith vaguely realized what had almost occurred and despite the fogginess, everything seemed clear for once in a long time. He opened his eyes and saw Lotor holding Allura tightly and preventing her from reaching him. Darkness beckoned him; Keith knew he had to act fast. He forced himself up with all the strength he had left and raised his gun.

"Lotor!" He screamed.

Lotor turned unaware Keith had risen. He began to take out his blaster from the holster, but the commander had already beaten him to it. With his blaster already raised, he shot Lotor twice; once on the chest and the other in the stomach. The Doom prince instantly released Allura.

The blows came quickly, Lotor dropped the amulet on the floor, and just as quickly, Haggar raised her staff and brought it back to her. It immediately stopped glowing.

The witch didn't waste any time, she raised her staff and vanished from sight within seconds, taking both Lotor and Zarkon away with her. Running up to Keith, Allura wasted no time getting to him as the light around them vanished.

"Keith!" she ran and caught him before he almost plummeted back to the floor.

He looked at her, regret filled his eyes. "Come on Keith. We need to get out of here." she told him.

"Allura…I'm sorry," he told her weakly.

VVVVVVVVVV

The dark fogginess lifted around him and soon Cossack found himself hidden away behind a dark pillar. He looked around, wondering how and why he was lying there and why his chest felt so tight with a searing pain. Then he remembered. His eyes widened. "Shit!"

Cossack searched for his comm. unit and realized that it was missing along with his blaster. He quickly stood up and ran down the hallway trying to find someone, anyone that would carry a unit. Soon, he found an android walking by. "Give me your unit, now!" he growled.

The android wasted not time and gave it to him. Cossack quickly communicated with Control.

"This is Commander Cossack come in!" He yelled out.

"Yes sir." He heard a voice answer.

"Sound the alarms! They've escaped. The Voltron Force has escaped!"

VVVVVVVVV

Helping him walk toward the exit doors of the room, Allura kept speaking to Keith, trying to keep him awake. "Stay with me, we need to get the others and get away from this place." She said as she heard him gasping for air. "Where are the lions?"

"The…docking bay…" he answered, trying desperately not blackout on her.

It was then that they heard the doors to the throne room open. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Sven, Hunk and Pidge.

"Thank the gods!"

Sven ran up to them, "What happened?" He asked as he looked at Keith, who at first looked at his friend with a blank expression.

It took a second, but finally, Keith answered, "Sven…"

Sven's features immediately softened, "It's ok Keith. You're going to be ok."

"Come on Keith, stay with me." Allura told him as Sven took over. "We need to get out of here." She turned and looked at the Norwegian.

He nodded then Sven took out his comm., "Lance, did you find the lions?"

""Yes, in the docking bay. Can't talk. Will come to you."" they heard him whisper.

"I can…I can tell you how…to get there." Keith mustered up with every bit of strength he had left.

Suddenly, the castle alarms went off.

"Come on," Hunk suddenly warned. "We need to hurry!"

"Just go! Leave me… here. I'll slow you down." Keith demanded.

"The hell we are!" Hunk suddenly sprinted over to them and took Keith's arm over his shoulder to help support him. "We are all leaving this hellhole!"

VVVVVVVVVV

"What do you mean? I can't fly a ship…much less those lions!" Maryann's eyes widened with shock at Lance. _She's so cute! Man, the things I think under pressure! _Hethought to himself. Lance shook the thought away and concentrated on what was important at the moment. "You don't have to fly them, just turn the lion on and move it about just enough to divert attention away from me when I run up to it. Put the mask on, so they won't be able to make you out. "

Suddenly the alarms went off and all the soldiers started running about wildly, most likely going to their post.

"Now's your chance!" Lance blasted. He quickly looked around. Too much chaos, with the Drules suddenly running all over the place, he had to take advantage of it. "Hell! Now's _our_ chance, come on, let's go!"

VVVVVVVVVV

"Stop!" Keith ordered and cringed in pain. His uniform was full of blood, even though it couldn't be seen through the black attire. His eyes filled with fire. "Get away from me!" he hissed.

Hunk held him even tighter. "He's delusional."

Keith shook his head and was about to collapse when Hunk held him together. Sven put both hands on his face and made him look at him, "Keith, it's me Sven. Focus! Tell me how to get to the docking bay.

The commander took a deep breath and looked at his friend, _Stay awake._ "East...wing. Outside…take the…left corridor."

Allura turned to Sven. "We better hurry."

"Right." he answered, "Let's get going."

They ran out the doors. After taking the left corridor, Sven checked the outside area, watching about half a dozen soldiers run around the hallways toward different destinations. Once the area was clear, he told the rest of them to follow him. "Come on!"

As they headed out, Sven turned to Keith, who by this point was losing consciousness. "Keith, come on, stay with us buddy. Where do we go from here?"

Keith opened his eyes and looked around, fighting the blackness. "Straight…first…left"

As they continued, Sven met Allura's gaze, "What went on in there?"

"I'll explain once we are safe." she answered, "It's a long story."

"Keith!" They suddenly heard Hunk call out. When they turned, they saw Keith had slumped over, unconscious.

Allura ran back to them. With tears she began to look at his face, "Keith? Please, don't tell me he is dead?"

Pidge checked his pulse. "No, he just blacked out, but we have to get out of here fast."

Hunk lifted him over his shoulder. However, just as they were about to continue, they were met by the Drule soldiers.

VVVVVVVVVV

Finally, inside Red lion, Lance's grin manifested from ear to ear. During the run, Maryann and he separated. That's when he yelled for her to enter the closest lion next to her, she went in Green. Once he entered Red, he pulled up the communication between Green and Red.

Maryann couldn't help to smile herself amidst of all the commotion and Lance's apparent elated joy of being inside his lion. "So what do we do now?"

"Contact Sven. See where he is." He answered as he took out the comm. unit, "Sven, come in, I'm in." Suddenly Lance heard the sound of blasts surrounding Sven's voice.

"I'm here! We're cornered!" Sven yelled back into the comm.

"Where? I'm in Red. I'll come to you."

East wing. Couple of feet from the docking bay!"

"I'll be right there!"

"Be here now!" Sven yelled back before he ceased communication.

Lance turned to the viewing screen. "Ok, all you have to do is distract these robots while I bring back the others. Cover me as much as I can. There's a storage compartment under the controls. Press the black button on the side and enter the code 55939 on the keyboard. That will open the compartment so you can retrieve the key. Then insert the key into the slot."

She immediately did as told, but found the compartment that Lance spoke about dented as if someone manually tried to break open the compartment.

"Lance, it's pretty beaten up"

"Yeah, I see. I'm surprised Keith didn't give them the codes."

"Maybe he didn't want to."

"What do you mean? Never mind, explain that to me later." Lance told her.

Nodding, she quickly punched in the codes Lance had given her. The professor asked. "What do I do now?" Maryann asked. For a moment, panicked struck her as the lion began to roar. At the sound, the Drule robots began to run farther down away from her. Some of them began entering fighters.

"Just use the levers and the steering controls. I'll be back soon!" He told her as he turned on his lion and the beast roared. He ran toward the entrance of the docking bay breaking every wall ahead of him.

Maryann turned and began playing with the controls. However, her eyes soon registered another wave of panic as she saw some of the fighter's motors begin to roar.

VVVVVVVVVV

Hiding behind a corner in the hallway, Hunk placed Keith on the floor as he took the princess' blaster to help Sven and Pidge fire at the oncoming guards.

Allura stayed next to him, not wanting to leave his side.

"Keith?" she whispered in his ear. "We're leaving soon. You just hold on, ok…please hold on."

Keith's eyes opened briefly; he looked at Allura and listened to the sound of her echoed voice telling him. "We'll be home soon."

"Home…" he whispered back before his eyes closed again.

Allura turned around and yelled at Sven, "We need to get him out of here!"

"Help's on the way!" he yelled back as a round of blasts came back their way. All three ducked back into the hallway.

"Lance better hurry, these damn Drules seen to be coming in by the masses!" Pidge shouted.

No sooner had the young man said those words than they heard an incredible blast and the screams of some Drule soldiers. Suddenly, there was silence. Sven cautiously peaked around the corner and saw Red lion's head breaking through the compound.

"He's here!" Sven yelled and immediately Hunk went into action, picking Keith up once more.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting the hell out of this place!" Hunk immediately bolted.

"Me too!" Pidge followed as the others ran behind them toward Red's mouth.

"Lance," Sven spoke through the comm. "Take us to our lions!"

"On our way!" Lance shouted back as he turned back toward the docking bay.

VVVVVVVVVV

Maryann saw a blast coming her way. She moved the steering wheel of the lion and Green moved away. The missiles missed it by a couple of centimeters.

"Damn it Lance, hurry!" she yelled.

Another blast came from behind. This one hit Green and pushed it down the floor. She screamed in horror, but still attempted to move the lion back up to standing position.

"Lance!" she yelled again.

"Right here, babe!" Lance called back. She turned to see Red emerging from the hole it caused earlier.

Almost instantly, she saw the rest of the Force exit the Red lion and quickly run to theirs as Lance covered them.

xxxxxxxxxx

On the ground floor, Sven quickly moved to Allura's side. He made the decision quickly. If Keith didn't make it, at least he'd want Allura to be able to say goodbye to him, "Take Black. Go quickly; I'll have Hunk bring Keith to you."

She nodded without a word and headed to the lion. Before she knew it, Hunk was right behind her as she heard Sven bark out other orders.

Continuing to run, she suddenly ducked as she saw a Drule soldiers coming her way.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Lance threw ion darts at some Drules trying to prevent Hunk and Allura access to Black. Quickly, he then turned and began to rip incoming fighters with his lion's claws and teeth, like a real lion tearing apart his prey.

"Revenge is sweet!" he growled as he turned his control with wondrous glee.


	34. Chapter 34

Thank you Mertz!

_The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows.__-_Socrates

Chapter 34—The Flight Back Home

Startled by the sound of the cockpit doors open, Maryann breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a familiar voice.

"Don't worry, it's me!" Pidge immediately told her. "Nice job pulling Green back up." He told her as he came closer to her.

Relieved, she stood up from the chair to give him access to the controls. "So, what now? Are we ready to leave this godforsaken place?"

"Almost, but the princess will need you in Black. Keith's in seriously bad shape and Allura can't fly and take care of him at the same time."

By the look on her face, Pidge could tell she dreaded going back out, but she nodded with determination. "Ok." She told him as she walked over to the exit doors.

"Don't worry." The young man stopped her. "You won't have to go out. I'll take you as close as possible to Black."

VVVVVVVVVV

Hunk laid Keith down on the floor behind the pilot's chair. He heard Keith moan in pain, but when the big man looked down on his commander, he found him still unconscious.

He sighed with worry, listening to Keith's raspy breathing, "We better hurry." Hunk told Allura as he quickly walked to the door to exit the machine.

Noting that the Drules had tried to pry the storage compartment open, Allura prayed that the key would still be inside. Punching in the codes, the compartment struggled to open. When it finally did, she found the key, "Thank the gods!" She sighed in relief. Turning, she told her companion, "Hunk, there's too much commotion down there, exit through Black's mouth. I'll take you directly to Yellow."

"You don't have to." She heard a voice coming from the lion's vidscreen. It was Pidge. "I'm bringing Maryann there. She can help Keith while you fly, Princess. I'll take Hunk back to Yellow."

Allura didn't understand who Maryann was, but there would be time later to find out. _Right now, I need to get Keith home_, she thought as she looked at him lying prone on the floor. "Alright, let's get this done."

VVVVVVVVVV

Inside her lab, Haggar pondered. _What would be better?_ Zarkon lay on her lab table, eyes still wide open in surprise, _the fool never expected a hit like the one he took_, she thought as she glared at him.

Lotor grunted in pain. "Silence!" she yelled as she turned to face to the prince, who was on the floor, holding a hand to his wound. "You owe me greatly Lotor!"

Lotor opened his eyes; the pain begged him to close them back, "What do you….mean by that…Witch?"

She laughed a hearty laugh, "What? You don't know?" She sounded surprised. "Even you must admit that you made it back to the castle fairly easy."

Lotor's eyes widened, "I made it…by my…own…strength!" He blurted out in hate. "…my own…intelligence."

"Oh please," she waved her hand as she walked and kneeled over him, "You thought making it here from the pits would be that easy? Without the slaves ripping you to shreds? Zarkon was right; you don't have any useful talent. If you would have been smart, you would have known it was me who helped you back. Do you really think a slave would help you?"

Lotor's eyes widened, "Danner?"

"A figment of your imagination." She dismissed uncaringly. "Well, a small spell I conjured up to make you see what wasn't there."

"And no one saw me?"

"I placed a barrier around you so that no one would see you either. Magic is such a powerful thing."

Lotor closed his eyes, _Magic…_, he thought. This was all a game to her. She had played both father and son all along. "You have what you want Haggar. My father's dead and I'm on my way." He started coughing. The statement alone too long for him to withstand it with one breath. "Guess…you've…won."

Both suddenly stopped speaking when they heard Cossack's voice calling from Zarkon's comm. unit. "Your Majesty, this is an emergency! Come in! The Voltron Force has escaped. They've captured the prince."

Lotor turned to the witch. "They're getting away…are you…going to let…that happen?"

The witch shrugged her hunched shoulders, "It's all part of the plan my dear Lotor. They are pawns as much as you are. Let them go. Besides, I need the commander in perfect shape for the next part of my plan."

"You have it all planned…don't you?"

She smiled, the great malevolent smile that always annoyed the hell out of him, "Of course. Patience is truly a great virtue that I have and you both seem to lack." Haggar turned her face and mentally turned off the unit. "Now, back to our conversation." She began, "See, what you don't know is that I can save you both. Only one can truly live; it is the law of the amulet. I can certainly rule without either of you, but I don't want to be a queen, that's too inferior to what I want."

"And what is that?" Lotor coughed again.

"I want to be the greatest sorceress this galaxy has ever known!" Haggar lowered her face to his. He turned away, unable to look into the gruesome face from so close up. But I need one of you to achieve this." She brushed his hair with her fingers.

"What's in it for me…if I…help you?"

Haggar stood up and walked over to the dead king then caressed his face. "You live." She turned and looked at him, "And, you do what I tell you. You will help me in my quest to become more powerful than any being this galaxy has ever seen."

He didn't trust her. Something about this sudden glee of hers unnerved him. Was it worth it for her to have power over him? "And if I don't…cooperate?"

She sighed, "I can always bring back Zarkon." Haggar shrugged. "So, tell me Lotor, what will it be?"

VVVVVVVVVV

"Doom enemy fighters at six!" Lance yelled out as the rest of the team began exiting with their lions out of Doom's airspace. "They are heading for Black Lion."

On the main Doom fighter, Cossack continued keeping vigil of the scene in front of him, "Target Black, the prince is in there!" Surveillance video earlier showed him one of the Voltron members had taken the unconscious prince inside the Black lion. If Zarkon found out that the force had taken Kogane as well, he'd literally be dead when he returned.

Not paying attention to the rest of the lions, Cossack jerked forward from a sudden impact to the rear of his craft, hard enough to throw him off the captain's chair, "What the hell was that!"

"One of the lions sir," a robot yelled, "It's attacking from behind."

"Stop him!" Cossack shouted as he felt the floor of the ship shake. Blue Lion hit the ship once more from behind then turned to the two enemy fighters on their way to annihilate it.

"Princess! Don't even try to fight. We'll cover you! Your primary goal is to fly to Arus. I repeat, fly to Arus now!"

VVVVVVVVVV

Allura didn't bother answering Sven as she continued flying toward Arus, not bothering to look back at the remaining lions that kept fighting.

Maryann, still in the middle of administering first aid procedures, did not hear, at first, the voice of the princess until she heard her faint voice, "How's he doing?"

The professor looked up, "I'm sorry."

Allura turned around in the chair to glance back at her, "How's he doing?"

The doctor sighed, "It's a wound above the left peck. I think the shot missed the aorta, if not, he'd be bleeding more, but it's still serious…. it's right above the heart, Princess."

Allura closed her eyes. _ If I could go any faster…._

"My name is Maryann Marseilles." Maryann stated, unsure if this was the right time, but saw no other opportunity. "I'm from Galaxy Garrison. Zarkon captured me on my way to see you."

The princess continued to look forward, but her tone as she spoke became one of interest, "To see us? Why?"

"My job as a scientist is creating defensive technology to help the Garrison in its military strategies. I created something meant for Drule soldiers captured by the Garrison." She sighed as let out the rest, "This technology…stolen from us…I believe was used on the commander."

With that, Allura turned completely around in the chair, surprised and ready to ask more questions.

VVVVVVVVVV

Cossack felt a third hit. This one came from Yellow. Frustrated, he looked at his viewscreen; his fighters dwindled in numbers as the lions had no mercy on them. The Voltron Force was pissed and had no trouble letting any of them know.

He had tried to locate Zarkon and Haggar to no avail. Something had happened, he didn't know what, but it was bad.

_They wouldn't just disappear like this._ He thought.

"Sir, another one of our fighters is down." He heard another Drule in his command state.

With no superiors to give orders, no robeast to launch and very little fire power, Cossack, with infuriated eyes turned to his next in command. "Retreat! Let them go." He needed to return to Doom. Whatever had happened, he knew, the Voltron Force was once again victorious.

VVVVVVVVVV

Everything happened rather quickly. As soon as the fight concluded, Lance aligned his lion next to Black, as if keeping guard while the rest of them lagged behind in case Doom decided to make another appearance.

"How is he?" Lance asked as he turned to the vidscreen with the princess.

"Still out." She responded, "But he doesn't look good at all."

Lance offered her a small smile, "Don't worry Princess, he's stronger than he looks."

"Is it safe?" She asked him, trying to change the conversation, trying to prevent herself from crying.

"For now." He answered, "You know it's the first time in my life I'm happy that Doom is not that far away from Arus. Shouldn't be long."

Allura nodded in agreement, "I'm going to put Black on automatic pilot. But the speakers are on. Just shout if you need me."

"Will do Princess." He answered, before she punched in the codes for automatic pilot and walk away from the console.

Toward the back, Allura finally saw Keith and cringed at the sight of him. He looked pale, beaten, and almost dead. Maryann had ripped open the top part of his uniform. Syringes and other first aid equipment lay around the floor. She placed gauzes around the wound and administered a procoagulant and morphine to stop the bleeding and pain, should he wake up. "I did the best I could." Maryann simply muttered.

"I know. Thank you."

Since the doctor had finished relaying her story to Allura earlier, the princess now understood Keith's unnatural behavior. Thinking back on the conversation, she asked, "So, if we remove that thing from him, he'll return to himself?"

Maryann's brows furrowed as her lips pressed. She thought for a moment about her answer, before she voiced it, "It is my hope. The chip was never meant for humans. I'm not sure of the consequences, but, I promise you Princess, I'll do the best that I can to take care of the commander."

Even though Allura smiled warmly, fear still shone in her eyes, "Thank you." Her gaze told Maryann many things and she nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, they were both startled by his moan. Allura looked at his now grayish features, his eyes fighting to open.

"He's awakening," Maryann stated, "I'll leave you both. Make sure he doesn't move."

Allura nodded and the doctor took leave, sitting at the helm. The princess waited for him to open his eyes on his own terms and just held his hand for comfort. Within moments, Keith opened his eyes and looked at her. "I let...you down...forgive me...forgive me..." he whispered between gasps for air.

She shook her head with firm determination, "No, don't you say that. You'd never do that, you've never let me down."

He smiled weakly, but then the smile faded. "I feel so…confused."

"You'll be ok. We'll be home soon."

"I love you..." Keith told her with such determination in his voice. "I love you...so much..." he raised his hand to her cheek, caressing it gently. The man looked at her with such intensity, Allura thought he was remembering every detail of her face as if it was the last time he'd see it, "My beautiful...girl…" he whispered as a tear slid down the side of his face. "My beautiful girl."

"I'll always be your girl, no matter what, I'll always be your girl," she pleaded, tears brimming down her cheeks. She kissed his hand. "Keith, don't you leave me. I have to tell you so much." her voice broke in a soft hysterical cry. She turned and shouted, "Lance! How long, I don't think he can last much longer."

"About five minutes, Princess. I have Dr. Gorma and his staff awaiting our arrival.

Maryann turned to her, "Don't let him fall asleep."

"Alright," the princess nodded and returned to him, "Keith, you stay with me, alright."

He nodded slowly, "Allura, I don't know...what's right...anymore. I don't...understand."

"You soon will. I promise."

"You're the only…clear thing in…my mind. You make...sense."

Allura smiled and kissed his lips tenderly.

Maryann, seeing their display, could not stop the tears from running down her face.

When Keith started closing his eyes, Allura called to him. "Please look at me Keith. Don't…don't go… not now. Look at me Keith Kogane! Damn you, look at me! I love you! You can't leave me. You can't leave me!"

He forced his eyes open but looked at her blankly, "I never meant...to cause...you harm. Forgive me..." He closed his eyes again just as Allura started to scream.


	35. Chapter 35

I'd like to give a special thank you to Harmony Winters who helped me with all the medical mumbo jumbo in this chapter. Okay…on with this soap opera. LOL!

_A person often meets his destiny on __the road he took to avoid it._ -Jean de La Fontaine

Chapter 35: Homecoming

Allura stared out the window overlooking the Sedana forest. The lush of green that radiated from its tall, majestic pines always awed those when they first laid eyes on them. A bright day surrounded the planet. Birds flew around the blue sky as white puffy clouds moved about in the most calming, peaceful way. Such a contrast to what she felt inside. Her heart felt such sadness, anger. Tears ran down her face and she began sobbing, unable to stop.

"Allura, honey." The princess suddenly felt someone gently grab her shoulder. The princess turned around and hugged her advisor as she cried against his chest.

"Oh God, Coran. It's not fair. It's not…fair." She cried. "He didn't deserve this."

The advisor held her tightly as she wept. Tears slid down his face. Coran hated to see the woman who he considered his child in a state of such sadness and despair.

"I'm so sorry Allura." Coran held her with his good arm.

Hours earlier, Black lion landed swiftly after Allura took the controls and accelerated the landing. The princess couldn't understand how she landed in perfect position despite her blurry vision from the tears she shed. Two nurses entered the cockpit immediately to transport Keith out of the lion. Maryann exited first to give them more room.

When the events around her ended and everyone had exited the lion, Allura found herself alone. She didn't want to leave the lion, knowing that when she left the only thing that reminded her of him, she'd be alone in every way possible.

Now all she could do was to lay all her sadness and worry on the man that had taken care of her since childhood. "Come on now." Coran told her, "Let's take a seat. You need your rest." He walked her back to her seat as they watched Lance become restless by the second, walking around the room like a prowling cat.

"Relax Lance!" Sven raised his voice in frustration.

Sitting next to the Norwegian was Romelle, who never once let her fiancé go. She clung to him as if fearing he would disappear from her. As she sat down, Allura looked at the couple with envy, not a bad one though. She just wished Keith was next to her instead of inside the double doors that lead to MedTech's trauma area.

"Oh my baby. Thank goodness you're back with us." Nanny whispered holding Allura's hand. The governess had cried to no end, when Allura had been taken to Doom; she thought she'd never see her daughter again. Allura comforted her as well.

"It's been four hours Sven," Lance answered. "And no one has told us anything. This is so damn annoying."

"Patience Lance," Coran stated calmly. He continued to calm the group down. "If they are taking long, it must be that Keith is giving Gorma a hell of a fight." Allura gave him a grateful smile as she wiped her tears away with her hand.

All this time, the princess thought her father figure had been killed. She couldn't stop hugging him when she found out he'd lived through the ordeal. "I'm sure Ethan is doing everything he can." He continued, giving Allura another gentle gaze. She nodded, feeling comforted.

Maryann walked over to Lance, "How about you take a seat and calm down Lieutenant?" She offered as she guided him back to sit next to her. He nodded, resigned with himself, and followed her over to a seat.

"Yeah, take a seat Lance, you're making me nervous." Pidge suddenly told him as Lance took a seat next to Maryann.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it." Lance answered, shaking his head. "If someone could at least tell us what's going on in there, I'd feel much better."

"So would the rest of us Einstein." Hunk interjected. "Listen, it's like Coran said, if no one has come out it's because Keith is fighting in there and Gorma and his team won't leave him, so we wait and have patience." Hunk nodded firmly. "Now shut up!"

Sighing heavily, Lance nodded. "Fine!"

After another hour of waiting, Dr. Gorma stepped out of the double doors and made an appearance in the waiting room. The physician looked tired, beaten and sighed heavily as he walked out.

"How is he Dr. Gorma?" Allura asked as she walked up to him.

Shaking his head, Gorma let out a small, sarcastic laugh, "Keith has a way of challenging me every time he comes in here."

Allura smiled. Gorma would never speak like that if things had taken a turn for the worse, _He's alive…_ she thought, taking a deep breath.

"It was touch and go there for a while… the operation was not easy." He gently patted Allura's arm. The doctor then noticed how the rest of the group congregated closer to him, "I had to call on doctor Rosen, toughest son of a bitch I've ever encountered when it comes to thoracic surgery. He assisted me in the procedure."

"Is Keith going to be alright?" Hunk asked.

Gorma sighed. "Well, the shot went through above the left peck and exited the front of his chest. Luckily, the hit went through muscle tissue. However, it nicked the aorta, which is why he bled so much. That was the hardest part of the procedure. I had to use plasma packs and other blood substitutes to replenish the body with enough blood."

He watched as the group grimaced, but he continued his explanation, "He's lucky that Lotor shot him there instead of a few inches lower. If he had, the blast would have shattered his heart and he would have died instantly."

Hunk shook his head with disbelief, shocked that his friend came so close. The doctor continued his explanation, "I want to wait at least two weeks for him to regain his strength before we tackle the big problem."

"What's the big problem?" Pidge asked curiously.

"The body scan found the cause of his behavioral problem. Somehow, the Drules were able to implant a chip on his neck. This corroborates with Dr. Marsilles explanation." He looked at Maryann, who nodded in confirmation. "The components are released into the nerves and brain, causing the change in his behavior."

"Maryann had told us about that at Doom." Sven asked. "But, how come he seemed like himself when we brought him back?"

The professor then explained, "When he was shot, his body went into shock. That possibly severed the messages transmitted to the brain by the chip." She paused for a bit, carefully looking at the group before she continued. "But now that the body is healing, the chip will continue to transmit the messages it was programmed to send."

"So, he will return to that behavior." Romelle stated.

The doctor nodded her reply.

"How can you stop it?" Coran then asked.

Gorma then replied, "The chip was implanted on the back of his neck. It intertwined within the nerves. The Drules were smart. They positioned it in a way that will make it very hard for me to remove."

"Why?" Allura asked.

"Because… if I remove it in an incorrectly, I could leave Keith a quadriplegic." He answered.

"Shit!" Lance blurted. "What can we do then?"

"I spoke to Dr. Marseilles earlier and we're calling in an orthopedic neurosurgeon that can remove the chip. I don't have enough expertise in this kind of procedure. He'll be here in two weeks, but that will give the commander the time he needs to rebuild his strength."

"I'm going to see him," Allura told the group, wasting no more time. She didn't want to hear anything else beyond the fact that Keith was alright. There would be plenty of time to learn everything else afterward.

Gorma nodded, "He's in the first room to the left in ICU Princess."

Allura turned and went inside without looking at anyone else. Nanny, about to follow her, was suddenly stopped by Coran, "Let her be Nanny."

"But…"

Coran shook his head, "Let her go to him." He stated firmly. Then he whispered to her, "We'll talk about this later."

The woman wasn't too happy about letting the princess go unattended, but stifled her disagreement for the sake of the occasion. It just wasn't the time.

Gorma continued his talk, "The only thing we can do now is to leave the implant in until the commander's wound heals."

"What can we expect?" Hunk asked. "When Keith wakes up, I mean?"

"Let's take a seat." The doctor answered him as he gestured the remaining members to sit back down in the waiting area.

"I'm sure you will find the same behavior he exhibited while on Doom. However, that's the least of my worries. I'm more worried about his behavior once the device is removed." With a heavy sigh, Gorma answered the young man's question with a question of his own, "Have you ever seen a person go through detoxification?"

"I had a cousin of mine who was a junkie," Lance answered, a bit embarrassed. "Are we to expect the same thing?"

"We're not sure." Maryann intervened. "From past studies, there were cases of Drules going through what Dr. Gorma stated, a detoxification phase. It could be physical, or mental. We're not sure yet. That's what has us concerned. We're not sure what to expect from the commander."

Nodding in agreement, Gorma then answered, "For the moment, he will believe that you are the enemy. To him, Zarkon and Doom are his family, his home. He'll wake up in enemy territory. All I'm telling you is to expect a real nightmare until we're able to remove that thing from him."

"We'll need everyone's help to get through these two weeks….and after, when the detoxification phase begins." Maryann volunteered.

"What else can you tell us about this phase?" Sven asked, his brows knitting together in question.

" I found that there was a period after the removal of the device where subjects remained in a state of confusion. They demonstrated both behaviors at the same time, until one won out. Again, I'm only going by Drule anatomy and physiology."

"So you mean, he could stay believing that he's Zarkon's son even after the device is removed?" Coran inquired cautiously.

Maryann nodded in regret, "It is a possibility." She sighed, "Like I stated before, the device was never meant for humans, I'm not sure what we can expect until it is removed."

Lance sank back in his chair, "This can't possibly get any worse."

"Don't give up Lance," Maryann gently took his hand within hers, "We're all here to help him. Don't give up on him yet."

VVVVVVVVV

Allura walked into the room the doctor had mentioned; she almost cried when she saw him. Keith had an oxygen tube traveling up his nose. His chest was completely bandaged and his right arm had an IV line inserted on the top part of his hand. The constant beeping of the monitor tormented the princess. Ironically, it also reminded her that he was alive. Except for his black hair, he was still too pale for her taste. Keith looked like a ghost.

The princess walked up to his bed, and gently took his left hand. She smiled. "Dr. Gorma said you keep challenging him every time you visit MedTech. You seem to have more lives than Haggar's cat."

He laid still, not saying a word, locked in slumber.

"You know Keith, you don't play fair." Allura continued telling him as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I tell you, I want to be just friends and you decide all of the sudden to put me through this. This is a fine way to have my feelings for you surface."

As the monitors continued beeping, he suddenly parted his lips ever so slightly. It would have been hard for most people to notice, but Allura did. Her index finger found itself brushing his lips with the gentleness and softness of a feather. "I know, you didn't plan it, but still, you frightened me. Don't do it again, ok?"

The commander slept soundly, unaware of her presence, unaware of her touch. Allura whispered in his ear, "Keith, I almost lost you. I almost didn't tell you what I felt, what I still feel." she told him as a tear dropped on his pillow. "I was afraid of losing you. I had lost so much already, my parents, my siblings…if I got too close to you, I was afraid I would lose you too. To have you, in every way possible, and then to lose you…I couldn't take the risk. I was afraid to fall in love with you."

She sighed and wiped her tears away; but the princess managed to continue, "But, what I hadn't realized was that I had already fallen in love with you."

Allura looked at him, lowered her head and gently placed a long kiss on his lips. When she parted, Allura told him, "I promise Keith. I'm not afraid of taking that risk now. What I am afraid of more than anything now, is not to have you at all. Get better...my love."

VVVVVVVVVV

The princess made herself a constant presence in Keith's room, telling everyone that she wouldn't move until he woke up. Her persistence paid off because during the evening, the next day after his surgery, Keith woke up.

He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes and looked around the room. Realizing where he was, Keith tried to rise.

"Don't move," The commander heard a gentle voice order him, "You just went through surgery." She took his hands in hers and gently squeezed them. Keith's eyes locked on hers and at that moment, Allura knew the Keith from Doom had woken up. He would have pulled away his hand if he had the strength.

"Get…the...hell...away from...me!" he tried to yell, although it came out as a mere whisper.

Allura let go immediately, but calmly answered him. "You're home, on Arus."

Shaking his head, Keith groaned in despair, "No…take me back…take me back." He once again attempted to get up, but found no strength. "Father!" he called out in a quiet voice, but the emotion in it, sickened Allura. _Zarkon, you bastard!_

The princess immediately called Gorma, who promptly walked in to look over his patient.

"Keith, look at me. You need to calm down."

"Fuck…you." He groaned. "Let…me out of here."

Unable to calm his patient, the doctor had no choice but to sedate Keith again. "Allura, hold him down by his shoulders."

The princess did as instructed. "Keith, please, you can't move around this much." Allura tried calming him. The doctor then injected Keith in his arm as Allura held him. He was so weak, it wasn't too much of a challenge.

"No! " Keith yelled in his weakened tone. "Don't...you won't…get…" Within seconds, he fell back into a deep slumber.

"Thank you," Allura nodded, taking Keith's limp hand again. "How long will he sleep now?"

"I'd say about five hours or so." The doctor answered, looking at his patient. _Sedation will not be a good thing in the long run._ "Why don't you rest Princess? You've been here for quite some time."

"I think I'll take a bath and eat something before I come back. But if something happens, I want you to call me immediately."

"Yes, Princess. I promise."

VVVVVVVVVV

The days passed, albeit rather slowly for the group. There had been no attacks by Zarkon, no word on Lotor, no retaliation at all. They worried. Sven and Romelle continued staying with them in case of an attack; they still needed a pilot.

As for the Keith, Gorma had to put him in a hibernation chamber. Every time he woke up, Keith fought with all his limited strength to escape, thinking they had captured him. Someone always stayed with him, trying to calm him, but ended up having to sedate him each time.

Gorma wasn't too keen on continuous sedation and offered a sleeping chamber so that everyone could rest, including his patient.

On one particular night, Lance, unable to sleep, went to visit his friend. He was a bit shocked to find Maryann there as well.

"Hey," Lance awkwardly whispered when he walked in.

"You know, you don't have to whisper, he can't hear us from inside the chamber." She smiled, pointing at the white coffin like oval box that held the commander.

"Yeah," He laughed a bit, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm researching," Maryann replied. "I hate to sound cold, I don't really mean to, but Keith is in a way, the perfect human subject to note the side effects of the chips on humans."

"You're right. It does sound cold." Lance stated a bit seriously. "Maryann…"

"No, please, don't take it the wrong way. Don't think that Zarkon will stop just at Keith. God knows that he may be developing this technology to work on slaves, even informants. We have to learn how to combat this."

Looking at it that way, Lance agreed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "I can't blame you. I'd be pissed myself if I were you."

Walking further into the room and watching his friend from the observation pane, he asked, "How is he?"

"Better." Maryann nodded. "The chest wound is healing pretty well. A few more days and he'll be able to walk about and all."

Lance smiled. "I didn't think we'd get him back."

"Must have been hard." The professor replied. "You two have known each other long?"

"Since we were twelve. We roomed together at the academy…neither of us had siblings, so in a way, we're like brothers."

Maryann smiled. "He'll be alright Lance."

The lieutenant nodded. "He better. Or Allura will kill him!" Lance's gaze then went to meet Maryann's. "You look tired."

She nodded. "I tried to get some rest earlier, but I keep having nightmares about…that place. I thought that working a bit might calm me."

"How about you do something better than working to put those nerves at ease?" Lance suddenly smiled.

Maryann tilted her head, "What did you have in mind?"

He laughed, "No…nothing like that. Come, I'll show you."

Xxxxxxxxxx

As Maryann walked out the glass doors, she inhaled the most pleasurable scents she could ever imagine. "I didn't know a garden could smell so enticing."

"Arus' flowers." Lance confirmed. "Allura built it. Well, with the help of the rest of us. But this was mostly her baby. She wanted a place to relax, to enjoy the nature that Zarkon had devastated around her planet. Now, the planet is in better shape, but she can't afford to take walks and strolls at the moment. So, this garden is the next best thing."

"It's beautiful." The professor told him as she looked around. Even in the dim light, she could see the vast array of plants, flowers and ferns that decorated the area. The place looked so peaceful, so calming.

"Come on, let's take a walk." Lance extended his hand. She took it with a smile.

As they strolled down the path, they fell silent, just enjoying the coolness of the night, the aromas of the flowers and the feel of each other's hands.

After a moment, Lance broke up the silence, "I was really impressed with the way you handled yourself at Doom."

"Well, I wasn't always a scientist. Once upon a time, I was in the Garrison infantry."

"Really?" Lance turned, surprised by her words.

She nodded, "Yep. On my first mission, our craft was attacked by a Drule ship. We were shot down and crash landed on Cryon by the Alpine mountains."

"Those mountains can be treacherous."

"Very." Maryann nodded, "Anyways, my team…well most of them, died upon impact. Three of us survived. It didn't help that we landed during the winter. We would have frozen to death."

"What happened?" Lance asked, interested in the story.

"Our backup units were shot, we had no way to contact the Garrison and we also had lost our beacon. They had no way of knowing where we were. So, I had to do some creative engineering and rebuilt the beacon unit. The device worked for a measly day and then it died. We waited in the cold, with our deceased friends, for three days. I thought then and there, the three of us were goners." She smiled sadly, remembering, "Luckily, the shitty thing worked and Garrison found us. Anyways, after that ordeal, I thought my sanity could be better used in research."

"That's an incredible story." Lance answered, once Maryann finished her tale. Neither had realized they had stopped midway on the trail. "But you know something," he told her, looking into her eyes, "You made a great soldier Maryann and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it first hand myself." He finished, squeezing her hand gently.

She smiled. "And I'm glad…I'm glad that I was able to try it once more with you."

The kind of smile that she offered him, made Lance take the risk. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her small waist, "I've been wanting to do this for a while." He told her as his lowered his lips to hers.

Maryann lifted her head to meet him, "Then what are you waiting for?"

She barely finished saying those words when he kissed her, at first with gentleness, as if trying to test her. When he saw that she craved more, he deepened his kiss and both felt the madness and chaos of the world around them end, at least for a moment.

"I hope the tour of the garden helped you." He finally told her when he ended the kiss.

She breathed heavily, "Oh yes, I guarantee I won't have nightmares tonight." Maryann smiled. No, no more dreams of robot soldiers or Drule guards, hovering around her. No more dreams of battles or anything that made her almost scream at night. No, those dreams would be replaced by sweet dreams of flowers, walks under the moon lit sky and a certain gentleman who held her close and kept her safe.

VVVVVVVV

The group met by the landing bay with Dr. Gorma to meet Dr. Warren Driver, the orthopedic neurosurgeon who would take over Keith's case.

The cruiser landed at the time Dr. Driver had told them he would arrive. Upon his exit of the shuttle, Allura walked up to him and shook hands with the man who had the potential of bringing Keith back to her, "Thank you so much for coming."

The olive color skinned man smiled at her, "Anything for friends of Maryann. I'm glad I can help." The doctor seemed much younger than the file stated. He took care of himself. Allura noticed his dark hair and green eyes. He was a handsome man. She prayed he wouldn't let her down.

The princess introduced the group to Dr. Driver and immediately after, he went to MedTech to see his patient. Moments later, the doctor, along with Allura and Dr. Gorma, walked into Keith's room to find Maryann and a nurse looking over some charts.

Earlier that morning, they took the commander out of the sleeping chamber and he now rested comfortably. He would still sleep for several hours, so there would not be any escape attempts that morning. Maryann's eyes lit up as she smiled at her friend, "Warren," she whispered as she went up to him and hugged him, "Thank you for coming."

He smiled, hugged her back, and then turned to see his patient lying still on the bed "I take it this young man is my patient." He walked over and examined him closely, looking particularly at his pupils, heartbeat and brainwaves.

Nodding, Maryann replied, "Yes. Did you read the file I sent you?"

"I did. I believe I'm ready. Dr. Gorma, do you think he'll be able to stand more sedation? I will need him to be completely still, I can't have him move at anytime during the procedure."

Gorma nodded, "He has been in a hibernation chamber for over a week, I see no problem in using general anesthesia to sedate him fully."

"Good. Let's prep him. We can begin in an hour."

VVVVVVVVVV

The three doctors stood over the still body of the commander as he lay on his stomach on the operating room table, his face resting in the oval opening. A video screen showed Dr. Driver the path he needed to take as he pierced the commander's neck and inserted a tube that travelled upward, deep through the muscle tissue.

Allura demanded to stay by Keith's side. She begged both doctors that she'd stay out of their way and was sitting on a stool, holding Keith's hand, _Keith, I'm right here. I'm not leaving your side. You'll be fine soon. I'll be right beside you my love._

The man worked slowly and steadily. Gorma monitored life signs as Maryann smiled at the rest of the team as they observed the procedure from a viewing glass. Her eyes smiled at Lance, assuring him everything was alright. He smiled back at her appreciatively.

Every now and again, Dr. Driver would voice out where he was and how far he needed to go to reach the object. After about twenty-five minutes or so, he called out, "I've got it…removing object now."

Once removed, Gorma saw Keith's heartbeat and blood pressure increase, "Dr. Driver, we have increased heart rate and pressure. Would you like to administer 20 milligrams of Carvedilol?"

Allura looked up, but didn't dare say a word. Gorma then winked at her to let her know everything was alright.

"Yes, please and 5 milligrams of Diltiazem." Dr. Driver continued. Gorma did as told and within minutes, Keith's heart rate slowed.

"Heart rate and pressure decreasing." Gorma observed.

It took another half an hour to remove the tube completely from the neck. Afterward, all three doctors checked on Keith's vitals and determined he was stable. Maryann took the plate that Driver had put the foreign object on once it had been removed. As Driver and Gorma worked on closing the wound, Maryann took a pair of pliers, picked up the chip and rinsed the blood away with water.

When the doctors were in the final stage of the procedure, Maryann gasped.

"What? What's wrong?" Gorma questioned. Allura looked intently at her.

"What's going on?" Lance whispered to his teammates, who stood by him watching through the observation window.

"I don't know." Sven answered as he looked inside.

Maryann shook her head in disbelief as she looked at the chip, "This isn't my chip!"


	36. Chapter 36

A big hug and thank you to Harmony Winters and Skylar who helped me understand many complexities that this chapter needed. Also, big kiss to Mertz who challenges challenges and challenges me all the time! LOL Te quiero, chica.

Ok, on with the soap opera…..

"_Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may __no man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."-_Nathaniel Hawthorne

Chapter 36: Demons that Never Left

The group assembled in the conference room then waited for doctors Gorma, Driver and Maryann to walk in. When Driver saw the entire Voltron Force along with the princesses and Coran, he looked at them a bit surprised. Allura picked up on his expression and offered him a sympathetic smile.

"Dr. Driver, Keith's well being concerns his entire family." Allura began, "Please speak freely. We all want to know what is happening with him."

Nodding, the doctor began, "The surgery itself was a success. I navigated through the nerves and tissues, finding the object searched for without any major challenges or obstacles. The problem is the chip that I retrieved, as you know, is not the chip that was originally implanted on the commander."

Shaking her head, Maryann sighed, "It's a replica of the one I created, but it's not mine. They must have created their own to control him. There was something in that chip that made him different from the one that was originally implanted."

"Like what?" Romelle asked curiously.

"I think this new chip," Maryann began, "made him capable of killing humans."

"Are you sure?" Allura asked.

She nodded, confirming her thought, "It's the only thing that my original would not do."

"It makes sense." Lance suddenly said as everyone turned to him. "Remember the night of Keith's supposed coronation? We fought and just when I thought he was going to kill me, he hesitated. He couldn't do it and God knows I pushed him."

Romelle then added, "When he shot Coran, I don't think he meant to kill him either. It was just a tactic to throw us of. After he terminated communications with all of you, he told me how to prevent Coran from bleeding out and called MedTech himself."

"And when he killed Throk, I thought he would kill the slave we encountered in his room," Lance voiced out, not particularly looking at anyone. "But he didn't either. He once again hesitated."

"Was the slave human?" Maryann suddenly asked.

"Yes,"

The doctor nodded again, "I'm positive that they changed the chip now. My chip was not designed to terminate human life, only Drule. He killed Drules but Keith never killed humans."

Sven pointed out, "Not until the night that Zarkon asked Keith to kill the prisoner in front of us. They must have switched the chips by then. He wanted to make sure his device worked."

_It must have been the night Haggar interrupted us._ Allura thought, remembering the witch's words before she struck Keith with her staff. The princess turned to the professor, "Maryann, why didn't he kill me when he had the chance in Zarkon's throne room? I remember her using magic to …get him to kill me."

"I don't know." Maryann shrugged. "Her chip wasn't perfect. The human body has a way of rejecting foreign objects that don't belong to it. Keith's body was rejecting that chip as much as I think he was rejecting mine."

"Come to think of it, I think he did." Lance now offered, "They were times where I thought Keith was in pain. When he took me with him on his mission, I saw him in pain more that once."

The room began to quiet down for a moment, all the occupants lost in thought.

"So, what now?" Pidge finally asked, "I mean, is Keith alright now?"

Maryann and Dr. Driver looked at each other. Driver spoke up, "As you know, the chip that Maryann designed was meant for Drules. However, it was meant to stay permanently in the Drule. Once they were removed, there were side effects."

"What happened when you removed it?" Hunk inquired looking at the professor.

"Well," Maryann began. "From the studies, the Drule experienced a lapse in memory. They didn't remember anything from the time the chip was implanted to the time it was removed. For some Drules, the memory lapse was permanent. However, for others, if the memories came back to them, they fell into fits of rage and homicidal tendencies."

Allura's heart began to pound. Maryann caught her expression and immediately wanted to put her worries to rest, "Princess, the Drules natural behavior is to be violent, thus the fits of rage. In Keith's case, his natural behavior will come in. So, he may not remember anything at all or his natural tendencies will override his response to the memories."

"What do you all think are his natural tendencies?" Driver suddenly asked, his interest in his patient rising.

"He needs to be in control." Lance snorted.

"He's quiet, too pensive at times." Hunk remarked.

"He's not the easiest person to read." Sven finally finished, sighing heavily.

Coran nodded in agreement. "He'll want to understand why he behaved the way he did."

Maryann sighed, "Well, if he remembers…we need to make sure to treat this situation delicately. He's going to have a lot of questions and there are no easy answers."

The room remained quiet as everyone thought how they would even begin explaining the last month to the commander, if in fact he remembered.

VVVVVVVVVV

Keith's eyes opened slowly. The dull white of the florescent lights above him blinded him at first, but he forced his eyes to adjust by blinking rapidly. Slowly, he realized he was in bed.

Voices began to filter into his ears. He felt so stiff, as if he hadn't moved in a very long time. The commander looked around. _MedTech? How the hell did I get here?_ He thought as his surroundings became more familiar to him.

Keith looked at the half-opened door of his room. The voices came from outside the room. He suddenly caught a glimpse of the princess as she passed by, "Prin…cess," Keith croaked, unable to understand why the words felt so forced coming out of his mouth.

"She'll be right in buddy." He heard another voice. Keith slowly turned his head sideways to see Lance on the other side walking toward him. He tried to rise, but a sudden wave of pain exploded in his chest, he gasped in pain.

"Keith, you need to take it easy. Lie down." Lance helped him back down.

"Lance…what…happened?" Keith asked, his eyes wide opened, unable to understand why he was in MedTech and why he was in pain.

Lance carefully studied him before he answered, "What's the last thing you remember?"

Keith lowered his gaze, trying to search through his memory, but found it blank. "I…don't…" he shook his head slowly.

Lance took a deep breath, "It's ok Keith, just rest. We'll explain everything to you later when you feel better." He made clear to him. "I'll call Allura for you. Be right back."

It only took Lance a minute or so to call the group in. Allura was the first to walk into the room. She immediately went to him, "Keith," her voice full of excitement, but still a bit guarded.

"Are you…alright?" He whispered, looking intently at her.

Surprised by his answer, she tilted her head in question. "What do you mean Keith?"

"Were…we…attacked? Did they…hurt…you? Is that how…I got here?"

Allura looked up to Lance, who shook his head. Understanding, what her friend told her, the princess turned back to Keith, "Yes…it was an attack, but we're all fine. Just rest, we'll explain it to you when you're better."

He nodded, although, slowly and stiffly. "Everyone else…ok?"

Everyone else began to let him know they were present. As he heard the voices around him, he became more aware, acknowledging everyone. He eyes then fell on the advisor, "Coran…you too?"

The advisor looked at his arm band, "I'm fine Keith, nothing this old man couldn't handle," he lied and offered him a warm smile. Keith looked confused, but also tired, he only nodded. It was then he stated, "I'm thirsty…"

Allura walked over to the table next to Keith's bed, picked up a water pitcher and poured some water into the plastic cup that held a straw. She gently held the cup to his face and put the straw against his lips. "Here's some water. Tell me if you want more."

Nanny, who was also in the room as well, took notice not only of Allura's actions, but also in her features. Not once did she look at anybody else in the room, her sight only focused on the commander. It was then that she understood what Coran had previously told her in the MedTech waiting room two weeks prior. Confirmation was right in front of the governess' eyes. Allura was in love.

Just then, Dr. Gorma arrived along with Dr. Driver. "Commander, good to see you're awake. Let's take a look at you."

"Hunk…the lions," Keith suddenly stated to the room, after he signaled to Allura he didn't want any more water.

Hunk came closer to his friend's bed, "They are fine Keith. Everything is under control. Just try to get better."

Dr. Driver sent everyone a signal to leave with his eyes, "We need to examine the commander."

"He doesn't remember anything." Sven whispered to Driver he gestured the group out. He turned his attention back to the commander, "We'll return after the doctor examines you, Keith. Come on guys."

The doctor nodded in understanding.

After everyone left, Gorma turned to his patient, "Alright Commander, let me present to you Dr. Warren Driver. He…assisted me with your surgery." he lied.

Xxxxxxxx

Several minutes later, Gorma and Driver walked out of Keith's room, "Well, physically he's stable. He's disoriented, that's to be expected as well, but with time that will go away." Driver mentioned.

"What now?" Pidge asked.

"We continue to observe him." Gorma nodded. "We did tell him he was shot in the chest, but didn't tell him the specifics of the battle. I told him Dr. Driver was his thoracic surgeon."

"For now, all we can do is wait. Maryann is reading over her studies to see if there is anything else you all should know." Driver volunteered. "I'll stay on for a couple of days to make sure he heals properly from my procedure."

Gorma nodded, "Thank you Warren."

The doctor nodded his acceptance.

"Can I go in to see him?" Allura asked.

"Yes, of course, Princess. Go on in." Driver stated, smiling.

She excused himself from the group and went back into the room.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Keith heard the door open and Allura slowly walk in. He lifted his head up a bit from the pillow and offered her a soft smile. "Hey," he whispered, still struggling to get the words out.

"Hi." She smiled as walked up to him to take his hand. "How are you feeling?"

Keith's smile fell as he answered, "I don't…know…lost."

The princess tilted her head curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I don't remember…anything. Thought it come…back by now." Keith answered, closing his eyes.

Placing her hand against his cheek, Allura soothed him as she spoke to him gently, "That's not important now. What's important is that you get better."

"I feel so tired." Keith told her, rubbing his cheek against her hand.

"Then sleep."

He shook his head weakly as he closed his eyes, "I feel like I've slept forever."

Allura leaned down and put her lips close to his ear, "You don't have to sleep. Just close your eyes and rest."

Keith sighed heavily, "Allura…I don't want… to be alone. I feel lonely…abandoned…"

The princess caressed his hair as she whispered back to him, "You're not alone. We're here. I'm here."

"Don't leave me."

She kissed his forehead, "I'm not going anywhere."

VVVVVVVVV

The next four days brought back a sense of normalcy around the castle. Lance walked through the halls heading toward MedTech, feeling better than he had in days. Finally, things were getting back to normal. They escaped Doom even if Zarkon and Lotor were MIA, at least a while. Sven and Romelle left the evening before, after seeing that things had lapsed back to normalcy.

Even better, Keith seemed to be adjusting nicely. _Thank God, Maryann's theory was right and he remembers nothing._ Lance thought as he went to MedTech that morning to visit Keith. The commander seemed to get stronger by the day. His only complaint, however, was a feeling of loneliness he could explain and quite couldn't shake. Maryann had told him that it must be on of the side effects and that she keeping a close watch on it.

Allura also seemed happier. She had glued herself to Keith. Lance laughed a bit when Keith had asked him why the princess continued visiting so frequently. _If he only knew. _Lance thought as the memory played in his mind. The lieutenant was looking forward to today. After his visit, he had a very special date_, Lunch with a certain pretty French scientist!_ Lance remarked to himself as he punched in the codes to open the door to MedTech.

His smile faded however when he saw the commotion in the lobby. Nurses walked briskly from one end to the other. Doctor Gorma was on the communicator, speaking to control. The environment around him felt hard, rough, and nerve racking. Then, suddenly, Lance felt a tap on his shoulder, "Hey,"

"Maryann, what's going on?"

Maryann's eyes were filled with worry and a bit of fear. "Keith complained of a bad migraine and nausea this morning. The nurse gave him some medication along with an anti-nauseate. When she came back to check on him an hour later...he was gone."

"What!"

"He's gone, Lance! We've searched all over MedTech and we can't find him. Dr. Gorma is calling control to have them put out an alert."

Turning to leave, Lance called out, "I'm going to check his room. He hates MedTech. Maybe he decided he rather recuperate there."

"Wait!" The professor called out roughly.

"What, Maryann." he tried to maintain his calmness as he turned back toward her.

"Lance…I think he remembers." She sighed in frustration.

Sighing heavily, he breathed out, "Shit! I have to go. I have to find him."

VVVVVVVVV

Lance dashed into Keith's room calling his name, but found no one inside. He searched around the room and found nothing out of the ordinary.

"Damn it, where could you have gone to?" Lance whispered between breaths.

He turned around to leave when he suddenly stopped. The lieutenant closed his eyes, hoping that what he was thinking was wrong. Slowly, Lance deviated from his destination, "please...please..." he kept repeating as he headed to the nightstand. He opened the drawer and swore once more when he saw what was missing. He turned around and ran out of the room.

xxxxxxxxxx

"He couldn't have gone very far." Coran stated to the group as they all met in the control room. Almost immediately, the advisor began barking orders.

"Hunk, Pidge check around the perimeters of the castle. Allura, go with the guards and check everywhere inside." Coran looked around, "Where's Lance?"

"Right here!" He came running in, "Keith took his gun." The lieutenant stated with a grim expression in his eyes.

"Damn it!" Hunk shook his head, "We better start. Pidge, let's go." He ordered his younger friend, who ran out right behind him.

"What did he take the gun for?" Allura questioned for a moment before it dawned on her. "No!"

"We'll find him as fast as we can." Lance assured her. "I'm just thinking about where he'd go. "

"We have everyone working inside and out of the castle searching for him." Coran advised, "Maybe the stables? Although, I don't think he's strong enough yet to ride."

"Well, maybe he took a cruiser," Lance offered. He went straight to the control panel and punched in a code, "Bingo! He did take a cruiser, but where?"

"The lake!" Allura blurted out. "He told me once that he went to the lake when he wanted to think."

"I'm heading over there." Lance turned to run out of the room without waiting for an answer.

"I'm going with you." Allura started to follow him.

"Allura…"

"No, Lance! I'm going with you." She told him firmly.

He nodded to her then held out his hand. She took it as they ran out of the control room together.

VVVVVVVVVV

The sun had not yet showed itself from beyond the lake. Early morning mist hung around them, making it a bit challenging for Lance and Allura to survey the area. As Allura walked closer to the lake, she felt chills creep up her spine. The air felt musty, thick and an eerie feeling possessed her.

"Where is he?" Lance asked, searching the area.

"He likes sitting near the water." Allura answered. "Perhaps those oaks that grow closer to the water's edge." She pointed to some large trees near the lake.

Nodding, Lance replied. "Let's search there first." As both walked closer, they found Keith reclining by one of the oaks near the lake. The morning fog was slowly vanishing over the sleeping water, but it still hadn't cleared completely around them.

"Stay back. Let me speak to him first." Lance told Allura.

She nodded, her eyes staying on Keith.

"Keith," Lance called out as he walked slowly toward him, but halted when Keith stopped him abruptly. He looked at Lance, a disgusted look in his eyes "Stay away from me." He seethed.

He could almost see him clearly in the mist of the fog, but not quite. Lance could make out his shape by the tree, sitting down along side of it, leaning back against the trunk. His hand extended to the side, spinning an object that lay on the grass.

Shocked to see the look in his friend's eye, Lance tried to reason with him, "Keith, you shouldn't be out here. It's too cold and you...you just got out of surgery a couple of days ago. This isn't good for you. Besides, you're scaring the hell out of everyone."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you all keep it a secret from me?" Keith's eyes narrowed.

Lance didn't know how to answer him. All he could manage to say was, "We were going to tell you, when you got stronger."

"You're a bad liar, Lieutenant." Keith shook his head. "Care to try it again?" He turned and looked at the lake.

Letting out an exasperated breath, he told him, "We thought it best...for you."

"For me." Keith let out a humorless laugh.

"Keith..." he began, but Lance was quickly cut off.

"I couldn't sleep last night. Thought they were nightmares." Keith started. "This morning, I woke up with a pulsing headache. Then, the flashes came. They were painful, but real. I remembered...I remembered everything. I wanted to throw up." Lance thought he saw his head bob a little his friend asked. "It was true, all of it?"

"Keith,"

"I shot you."

"Yeah…but it didn't hurt." He tried joking unsuccessfully. Keith ignored him.

"I…decapitated Throk?" sounding more like a question in between breaths.

Silence. "Answer me Lance," his voice raised a bit, "did I kill Throk by decapitating him?"

"Yes," Lance hissed out with pain, not wanting to make his best friend hurt any more.

"I shot Coran." A statement this time.

"Yes,"

Keith closed his eyes, remembering what the advisor had told him days before, Another lie. "I killed a prisoner...for no apparent reason."

Lance sighed deeply, "Yes,"

"I tried to kill you…" he repeated as he closed his eyes and shook his head slowly in regret, remembering the scene in Zarkon's throne room.

"You couldn't control what you were doing." He reassured him.

"I," Keith breathed heavily. The tears ran down in his face, "I...raped…I raped Allura."

"No, you didn't." Lance took a step closer.

Silence for a moment. "I remember...I remember doing that."

Lance risked another step, but Keith would not allow him to come nearer, "Don't come any closer!" he raised his voice as he turned to him. With those few steps, Lance finally realized that the object next to Keith was his blaster. He gripped it harder when Lance had come forward. He immediately stepped back again as Keith turned his gaze once again to rest on the lake. _Just like Maryann had said, he's not thinking logically. I have to stop him somehow._

"Listen," Lance told him, using his hand to motion to the princess to stay back when he felt her coming closer. She refused. "Allura told me what happened. It was not rape. It was consensual. She agreed, she wanted to. Keith, she loves you!" As the fog began to clear, he took a better look at his friend. The commander was trembling.

Silence again until he uttered. "I almost killed her. If it wasn't for Lotor...I would have killed her."

"That was all Zarkon's doing! You can't blame yourself." Allura suddenly yelled.

Keith gripped the blaster and picked it up. "Allura?" he turned his head slightly when he heard her voice.

"Please don't." She begged as she moved forward. "None of it was your fault."

"That doesn't change the intention."

"Keith, let's go back to the castle, we can talk about it at MedTech. You can't be out here that long. You're already shaking from the cold." Allura gently but firmly told him.

"I'm not cold…just lonely, so damn lonely."

_That word again_ Lance thought he saw Keith bob his head again, _is he passing out?_ He noticed his friend twirling his blaster with an eerily glee in his hand.

"Keith let's go back. Let me help you." Allura continued.

Keith ignored them and turned his attention back toward the lake, the fog had lifted a bit more. He began to see the stillness of the water, the very light breeze that feathers the leaves on the trees that surround it, "I've always liked the lake. It's peaceful, tranquil. I could always regain my calm, my focus. I solved my problems while feeling the breeze on my face. It was refreshing…feeling the pure, clean air around me. The lake centered me. I wanted to remember that feeling one last time." He paused for a bit, but then continued as he looked at his blaster, "Just one last time. But I don't feel that…I tried searching for it…but I can't feel it. All I feel is loneliness." Keith began to look at his blaster intently.

Lance gasped, astonished by the last statement then pleaded, "Don't do this." Allura looked at Lance with pure terror in her eyes.

Keith ignored him, "It's ironic Lance. I started my life as a criminal and I'm going to end in the same path."

"You're no criminal. Keith, you're not well. Zarkon...he did things...but you'll recover, I promise. Just trust us to help you. What you're experiencing is not permanent."

"What do you mean?" Keith asked as he pointed the gun toward himself. "Of course it is, do you think I'll ever forget!" he yelled.

Lance's eyes widened, "Don't do anything stupid, Keith!"

"Keith, please!" Allura shouted.

That humorless laugh escaped Keith once more. It made them cringe. Lance remembered that Keith laughed exactly that way under Zarkon's influence. The person Zarkon wanted to create still lingered within his best friend.

"I wouldn't shoot myself." He put the gun down and began gesturing with his hand. "It's too...messy." he said, starting to slur his words a bit. "I hate messy. This is…cleaner."

A wave of relief passed over the princess, _Good, if he passes out it'll be easier to take him back._ Just as the first wave passed, a second made its appearance. Knowing fully well that relief would only come if the gun was away from Keith, Allura decided to play along with him, "Ok, since it's too messy, you wouldn't mind handing me the blaster, would you?"

Without hesitation, Keith tossed the blaster to Lance instead, albeit, a bit sloppily. Lance picked up the weapon noticing the safety still on. "Can we go home now?" he asked carefully.

Keith chuckled darkly, "Soon," He simply answered as he bobbed his head a final time.

Lance waited a moment more before he carefully moved closer. "Keith," he called out, but received no answer. He looked at Allura, who sprinted to Keith without question. Quickly, Lance followed, finding Keith slumped down, his head lying on his chest.

Lance sighed heavily and took out his communicator, "This is Lance. I found him." "

"Thank heavens!" He heard Coran call out, "Was he at the lake?"

"Yes, Allura and I are bringing him back."

"Is he ok?" Allura looked up at Lance sounding alarmed.

Lance kneeled and checked his friend's heart rate by pressing his middle and ring finger onto his neck. He tilted his head and frowned, a bit alarmed by the slowness of the beats. "Keith, answer me."

When he didn't get a response, Lance began to slap him in his cheek lightly to get a response. "Keith, answer me!" Again, no response, not even a moan.

"What's wrong?" Allura asked, her tone rising.

"He isn't responding." Lance began to look around, something was not right. He felt it. It was when he noticed Keith's tightly, gripped left hand and forced it open that his eyes widened. He held an empty pill container. _'Shit! The anti-depressants!_'

"Oh my God!" The princess gasped as she looked down on the bottle.

"Coran, get me Gorma!"

"What's wrong?" His tone rising as he sensed the panic in the lieutenant.

"Get him now!"


	37. Chapter 37

Thank you all for continuing to stay with me….We're almost there!

"The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world." Marianne Williamson

Chapter 37: Home, the Loneliest Place Known

The sun shined throughout the day and the mist cleared as the morning gradually passed. By noon, Nanny passed by Keith's room, bringing the princess lunch. At first, she didn't want to eat, but Allura realized that if she wanted Nanny out of the room, the best thing to do was to eat.

When she and Lance discovered what Keith had done, neither wasted time getting him to the cruiser and driving back to the castle. They had all gathered in the waiting room once again, fearing the worst. Luckily, Gorma managed to pump Keith's stomach in time to save him from any side effects and now, he rested comfortably in his room at MedTech, the princess by his side.

"You know Allura, he's not going anywhere. Dr. Gorma thinks he probably won't come to until later tonight." Lance mentioned as he stepped into the room of the infirmary, giving Allura a sympathetic look.

The princess sat on a chair next to Keith's bed as she watched him sleep. Not looking at Lance, she continued her gaze at the dark haired man, stroking his hair aimlessly. "I'm afraid to leave him." She began, "I don't know whether to hold him or punch him! I'm so angry with him."

Lance moved farther into the room. "Maryann warned us. Besides, his mind is so mixed up right now… shit, I'm pissed off at him too. I guess we were all expecting a fairy tale ending to this fucked up tragedy."

Sighing, Allura faced him, "Oh, Lance. If we wouldn't have found him…"

"But we did. Don't think about the what ifs. We found him, he's ok now. What's important now is to bring him back from that hell he's putting himself through, this loneliness, as he calls it."

Allura sighed as she stood up and shook her head in frustration, "I feel like I'm losing him all over again…and he still doesn't know."

Lance walked up to the princess and held her tightly. "It's ok Allura. You'll have a chance to tell him. You'll see." He kept silent for a bit, watching his friend, the princess by his side. He walked over to the other end of the room and grabbed a chair that stood by a corner. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." The princess nodded as she sat down.

"Why did you reject him the night of the party?"

Sighing, "Lance, if you would just understand what I have lost. Everyone in my life that I cared about practically vanished before my eyes. Coran and Nanny were the only ones left. I had no hopes, no desires…the thought of even finding love to me was absurd. How could I love when there wasn't anyone to love? How could I dream of love, when all I saw were men, women and children living down in caves, eating whatever little this land produced? Wouldn't that be selfish of me?" She shook her head, "I closed myself to anything that dealt with my happiness. I would not be happy until my people were."

He stared at her as he continued to listen.

"Then, you guys came." She smiled. "I know that to all of you, this was just another assignment at first, a mission. But to me…you were…hope. I still never expected to find love. I wanted my people saved from Zarkon's grasp, that's what I cared about…it was engrained in my mind from all the years I was alone."

"And then." Lance whispered with a smirk looking toward Keith.

Allura nodded gently. "And then." She repeated. "I don't know when I fell in love with him. I look back now and I think I always felt something special toward him, Lance. Subconsciously, at least." The princess began caressing Keith's hair again. "I felt that, out of all of you, I had to earn his respect and trust."

"Allura, he's always respected you." Lance reassured her.

She laughed a bit; "Maybe he did…you know…" she looked at Lance, her eyes full of thought, "I think I know when I began feeling things for him." Allura smiled. "I think I know."

"When?"

"I remember one day while training with him in the lions that I was failing miserably in my descent maneuvers. I had trouble sensing the airspeed changes and my turns were very abrupt. We practiced for hours and Keith never once yelled or acted frustrated with me."

"Are we talking about the same man?" Lance answered sarcastically.

Allura laughed, "_Anyways_, after hours of practicing, I finally got the maneuver right. I was ecstatic and I remember that I turned and looked at him…he had this smile on his face…he looked at me with such pride…trust…I think that's when I first felt _it_. That was the moment."

"You want to know when he felt _it_?" Lance asked.

"When?"

"He told me it was the moment you stepped down those stairs to meet us."

"I never thought of him as such a romantic." Allura smiled.

"You and me both."

They watched their friend in silence for a moment. Allura sighed and broke up the quiet, "I kept my feelings for Keith deep inside, hid them, because I thought that it wasn't fair for me to have those feelings. My people were suffering and I felt guilty trying to live a fairytale when all they lived was a pure nightmare." She sadly shook her head.

"Allura, you couldn't stop yourself from feeling. No one can."

She nodded. "There's another reason. The night of my party, when he told me what he felt for me…it scared me Lance. I got scared."

"Why?"

"I had lost every single person that meant something in my life. If I loved, they died. A curse… well, that's what I thought. I felt that if I hid those feelings from him, Keith would be safe." She sighed. "Everyone I loved had died…I couldn't bare the thought of losing him. Not him."

"Princess, things don't work that way." Lance reminded her.

Allura kept looking at Keith, her fingers caressing his cheek, "I know that now. I learned that you can't prevent things from happening. You can't stop your life from happening." She sighed, "And you can't stop love from happening. I think we both have this tendency to try to control things around us." She smiled as she looked at Lance.

"Looks like he's going to have to learn a thing or two about control as well. I'm glad that you're ready to love." Lance replied, a small smile formed on his lips.

Allura's smile, however, faded. "I don't know how to help him."

The lieutenant grew pensive for a moment and gradually his eyes widened.

"What?" Allura asked.

"I think I know who might."

_VVVVVVVVVV_

_The throne room filled with Drules chanting, screaming, and shouting obscenities. Zarkon's voice boomed in Keith's ears. His tone, full of fury and anger, frightened him. In front of him were his friends, begging for him to help them. Allura continued calling to him desperately._

"_Son! Kill them!" Zarkon yelled._

_"No! I can't." Keith shouted over the Drules' constant chanting._

_"You are the Ruler of Doom, it is your duty!"_

_"I…I can't! Don't make me do this Father."_

_"Kill them! NOW!"_

_He looked at his friends, Allura begging to live, but he couldn't control himself. Keith retrieved the gun from his holster and began shooting. He heard the blasts coming out of his blaster as he watched Allura, Sven, Lance, Hunk and Pidge plummet to the floor. _

"_No…No! I didn't mean to. I didn't want to! NO! NO!"_

Suddenly Keith felt someone shaking him as he heard his owns screams, "Wake up, Keith! It's just a dream! Wake up!"

Keith's eyes flickered open, looking wildly around the room with his breathing, coming out in heavy rasps. He saw the one person he never thought of seeing again, "What are you doing here?"

The man sighed in frustration, "What am I doing here?" he asked in disbelief. "Keith, the princess contacted me… and told me what happened…I took the first shuttle out to see you and arrived this morning."

Staying silent for a moment and remembering, the commander refused to meet the man's eyes.

"Keith."

"I thought it would be over by now." His voice filled with regret.

"What?"

"The loneliness." He simply answered as he put his head back on the pillow.

Admiral Graham shook his head slowly and took his son in his arms, "You had me worried boy. When Lance told me…" He couldn't finish, he himself fought back tears.

Keith didn't return the hug. His own shame prevented him from even believing that his foster father could show this much emotion for him, a traitor, and a disappointment to everyone.

The admiral released him then studied him, _His eyes…so much darkness in them now. _Keith had bags under his eyes. He looked tired and too pale to Graham's eyes. Realizing that pity was the last thing Keith needed, the man stood tall and with a firm gaze told him, "I never pegged you for someone who takes the easy way out, Commander."

Keith looked down, "I…I don't know why I did that. It felt right at the time… after all I've done."

"Were you able to control your actions, while you were under Zarkon's influence?"

The commander shook his head. "I didn't feel that I could." He answered. "But I was aware of what I was doing? That I _knew_ what I was doing? How could I…have done…all those things…to them...to her?" His voice cracked.

"What happened could have happened to any member of your team." The admiral responded, taking a seat in a nearby chair. "Now, allow me to ask you this, would you have punished them as much as you are punishing yourself right now?"

Keith maintained his silence.

"Answer me Commander Kogane." The admiral demanded firmly.

"It's not the same sir." Keith grimaced.

"Why would you think that?"

The young man turned to his guardian and stoically answered him, "I'm the one who sets the example. How can you ask me that? I'm a murderer and practically a rapist. How can someone like me lead….how can I face them?" he inquired with disgust. _How can I face her? _He told himself inwardly.

The admiral sat down next to him and smiled at the young man. For a moment, the brave and powerful commander looked like the twelve year old child he took in years before, "You can face them and have them see that you are stronger than what you've faced. You can surpass this obstacle and let your team see who you really are...the leader that you are capable of becoming...the leader that is now stronger because he can face adversity and rise from above it."

Keith looked stoically at his father figure, but didn't say a word in response.

"You have always been successful at fighting your adversaries, son. It's your gift. Now you face another adversary, yourself. The fight to reclaim your heart and mind is long and arduous. It will not be easy."

Keith continued looking at the admiral. His eyes darkened as he listened intently.

The older man continued, "If you truly want others to trust you again, you need to trust yourself. You need to love yourself. But if you succeed, you will truly be the leader you seek to be."

VVVVVVVVVVV

The evening came to find Keith lying in bed looking out his window, gazing at the night sky, lost in thought. His dinner, the once hot, bowl of broth, sat on the table beside him. He hadn't touched it nor cared to do so.

Maryann, the scientist he met days earlier, along with Lance and Sven, had sat with him after the admiral's visit and told him everything that transpired from the time they thought the chip had been placed in his head until he had awaken in MedTech after his surgery. It hadn't been easy to hear. He remembered everything he did, everything he said, but it was hard to understand that he hadn't been able to control himself. Maryann described it as watching yourself from a glass window. Still, part of him felt that way, another didn't. Keith could not have felt any worse after they left, he wished the damn pills had worked.

The admiral, who would stay with them for a day or two longer before he had to report back to the Garrison, decided not to attend. He knew his foster son would be extremely embarrassed by what he would hear and felt that his presence there would make Keith feel worse. He sat with him after, but Keith didn't volunteer any of the details. The admiral gathered he was still in shock.

Dr. Gorma walked in about an hour after the admiral's visit to discuss with him the possibility of counseling, to help him better understand the why's of his situation and find ways of coping with them. He immediately declined. The last thing the commander wanted was to talk about a problem he did not understand yet himself, with someone he did not know.

However, that wasn't what was worrying Keith at the moment. What worried him was far worse. He felt guilty about leaving Doom. He felt alone and abandoned in the one place he had always thought of as home. The commander wondered if Zarkon was all right, alive. _God, this is sickening!_ He thought.

Maryann had also warned him about his feelings, about how it would take time for his body and mind to recuperate. He would need to dismiss these feelings. _If it were that easy_. He longed to be back at Doom and that feeling was driving him crazy.

"A penny for your thoughts," he heard a voice suddenly fill the room.

He turned his head and saw Allura by the door. Wearing a simple peach colored A-line dress with elbow length sleeves, the princess was a vision of beauty to him. She wore her hair loose, no pins, not even her customary tiara. Her neck was decorated with the snowflake necklace he had given her the night of her birthday ball. Allura looked beautiful.

Keith was suddenly clouded by visions of what he had done to her, how he hit her, tore her gown, touched her in conniving ways and he looked away, unable to face her. He remained silent.

She walked in, her expression concerned. The princess had tried to make him smile and so far, it had been next to impossible, "You haven't had your dinner. If Nanny finds out you didn't taste her broth, she'll probably spoon feed it to you." She joked as she picked up the spoon swirled it on the bowl.

"I'm not very hungry," he muttered as he looked out the window, longing for his enemy.

"You should eat something…to build up your strength." Allura offered. When she didn't receive an answer, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Keith sighed miserably, "I've been better." He fell silent for a moment before he began again, but she noticed that not once did his eyes fall on her. "I wanted to…thank you for saving me and…I wanted to apologize for…all those things I did…to you." He breathed hard; it took a lot out of him to tell her that.

"Keith, you've saved me countless times, and as far as an apology is concerned, you don't need to give me any. I told you that…"

At that, he looked up shocked, "Why would you think that? After everything I put you through."

"You didn't put me through anything. You didn't do anything I didn't ask for." She told him firmly.

Keith shook his head, "No, that's not true, I..." he couldn't even voice the word in front of her.

"You didn't." Allura told him as she pushed the tray away to come closer to him, "I wanted to. I wanted you to do those things to me. Keith, I…"

"No! That can't be." He snapped. He finally looked up at her. She could see the tears of pain that he would not release in his eyes, "Princess, I…_ruined _you. I violated you in every way possible. I even did things with someone else…I'm not worthy of your forgiveness."

"You are worthy of that and more!" She reminded him. The princess paused for a bit before she continued. "I know about Starr. You warned me before we did anything. In your heart and mind, however confused it was, you still were concerned with my thoughts and feelings. I knew what I was doing. I decided to do it because you are the most important thing to me Keith." She tried caressing his face, but he pulled away from her.

Hurt poured over her, but Allura understood. All of them had spoken to a Maryann earlier in the day. She told them what he was probably feeling and that one of his fight/flight mechanisms would be to pull away from all of them until he himself came to the conclusion that he was still needed. They had to give him time. Still though, Allura felt powerless. She hated seeing him this way.

"I'm too dangerous for you Princess. You should stay away from me." He told her, his gaze once again turned away from her.

She gasped surprised. She hadn't expected him to tell her to stay away from her. "Keith…"

"I'd like to be alone now." He stated firmly. "Goodnight…Princess." Keith turned his gaze back to the window.

She stared at him for a bit, but he wouldn't look at her. Not knowing what else to do, Allura bid him goodnight before leaving.

Keith looked at that window for hours, his longing now more powerful than before.

VVVVVVVVVVV

Lance took two cards from the deck and studied them as he grouped them with the one he held in his hand, not really caring if he had a winning combination. He pushed himself to look interested in the cards. Any indication that he would rather study what his commander was feeling would earn him a ticket out of Keith's room.

"Ok, I'll see you ten and raise you twenty." He told him as he tossed a couple of chips onto the tray they were playing on. He raised his eyes just enough to study his friend's face. Keith in turn looked at his cards, but Lance could tell his mind was beyond studying the current hand he was playing.

"Hey," Lance called out. In return, Keith looked up a little bewildered. "In or out?" He asked as naturally as he could, trying to sound like he was speaking of the game at hand, rather than the true meaning of his words.

"I'm in…ummm…I'll see your twenty and raise you twenty." Keith answered as he threw his chips onto the tray that crossed his hospital bed.

"Hah!" Lance answered, "Read'em and weep! Four Jacks!" He exclaimed excitedly as he placed his hand on the tray, showing all his glory. "Beat that Chief!"

Calmly, Keith put his hand down showing Lance a royal flush. "Sorry."

"Son of a bitch!" Lance gasped. "How the hell did you get that hand?"

Keith looked at his hand lying on the tray. A small smile, too small for the average person to see, crept on his lips. Lance felt a moment to tell Keith something, but let it go. Inwardly, he was ecstatic that Keith showed some hint of positive emotion.

For the last four days after his unexpected incident at the lake, Keith seemed emotionally detached from everyone, even the admiral, who had finally left two days prior. Graham had felt uneasy about leaving, but he didn't want the Garrison to know too much about Keith's condition. The last thing Keith needed was to be stripped of command. That, they knew, would destroy him. They all decided to keep things quiet and Lance would report to the admiral about Keith's process.

Keith, for the most part, never spoke unless spoken to, barely ate, and seldom wanted any company. Mostly he slept the day away, or pretended to anyway.

Tonight, Lance saw for the first time, that his friend seemed to want company and he took every opportunity to make him feel that it was ok to break out of the lonesome hole he seemed to feel safe in.

From the viewing window, Sven watched his two friend playing cards. It was his night to stand guard and watch over Keith. A small smile crept up on his own lips_, Good, he's finally breaking out of his hell hole. _He thought to himself. When Sven heard of the incident, he and Romelle wasted no time in returning to Arus.

"How's he doing tonight?" He heard Allura's voice and he turned to watch her walk in.

"I think he's doing better this evening." He replied, "Lance has been with him for about and hour and a half tonight and he even smiled a bit."

Allura's eyes glimmered, "He smiled, that's great!"

"Don't get your hopes up. This is just one good moment. He's going to have to face a lot of demons before we can say that he's ok."

"But, it's a start." Allura countered as she looked inside.

"Yes, it is."

They stared in silence, watching as the pair continuing yet another game. Keith, from time to time seemed to slip away for a few moments, but Lance immediately reeled him in.

"He asked about you." Sven broke her concentration.

The princess turned around to face him, "He did?"

He nodded and smiled, "Yes, when Lance first walked in. He wanted to know how you were."

Allura looked back at the window, "He asked about me." She repeated with a smile.

"You should go in and see him."

She shook her head, "I'm not sure Sven. He hasn't seen me since that night. I'm not sure how he'll react if I break what seems like his first signs of progress."

"I think you should Allura. Like you said, it's a start, and you need to break this rift both of you have. He'll need every single one of us to keep him where he's at right now." He shrugged, "I know from experience. When I was in my dark hole, Romelle was the only one who broke me out of it."

Understanding, the princess sighed and then nodded, "Ok…I'll try."

"I'll leave you for the moment. I'll be back to take my shift when you're done. Let me know." Sven told her, turning to leave, "Where's Romelle by the way?"

"She's in my office. Bandor sent her some papers she has to look over and she needed a place to concentrate. By the way, you have been summoned by her. Something about both of you deciding some new laws the Pollux council wants to initiate."

"I'll go see her then." Sven answered her as he headed toward the door. "Just go in, Allura. I'm sure everything will be ok."

After Sven left, Allura took a deep breath and walked toward the door, hoping that her small bit of happiness wouldn't be overshadowed by disappointment.


	38. Chapter 38

This chapter is a bit on the long side. I just couldn't find a place to cut it, so...make sure you get your coffee mug, blanky...whatever! :)

My editor says you guys are going to kill me...really? Well, I guess we are just going to have to see about that, right?

"_To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping"_ Chinese Proverb

Chapter 38: The Long Journey Home

Haggar walked through her laboratory, preparing herself for the coming. Pondering back to weeks prior, the witch took pride in how well her plan had been executed.

_What you don't know is that I can save you both. Only one can truly live; it is the law of the amulet. I can certainly rule without either of you, but I don't want to be a queen, that's too inferior to what I want."_

_"And what is that?" Lotor coughed again. _

_"I want to be the greatest sorceress this galaxy has ever known! But I need one of you to achieve this." _

_"What's in it for me…if I…help you?"_

_Haggar stood up and walked over to the dead king then caressed his face. "You live." She turned and looked at him, "And, you do what I tell you. You will help me in my quest to become more powerful than any being this galaxy has ever seen."_

"_And if I don't…cooperate?"_

_She sighed, "I can always bring back Zarkon." Haggar shrugged. "So, tell me Lotor, what will it be?"_

The witch remembered the words and everything that took place thereafter. She had achieved what she wanted, the first part of her plan was now complete. Haggar walked to the cabinet that held the amulet. She opened the door and saw just empty space. The amulet now had another keeper and the keeper would ultimately be her pawn to reach the power that she had longed for centuries.

So far, everything had worked out perfectly. It was then that she heard the voice of Zarkon as he walked into to her lab. "Witch! You've made me wait enough time. I want my son back!"

"Patience Zarkon, I told you that the commander would need time to recuperate. As soon as he's better, we can bring him back."

Zarkon stared at her with wonder, "I don't get this. This is the best time to attack. He's weak, they're weak!"

The witch walked up the king, "Your Majesty, everything will work out how it should. I guarantee you, the prince will come willingly."

Zarkon had no more patience with the witch. He wouldn't wait either. It didn't take long for him to recover after his bout with Lotor, but he still found himself somewhat weak. Haggar had convinced him to wait, telling him that the prince had been wounded himself and it wouldn't be wise to move him in his current condition. But now it had been almost three weeks. No more waiting. The time for action had come and he wouldn't allow Arus to continue keeping his most prized possession.

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Last hand buddy, I know that you're tired." Lance told him as he began shuffling the deck of cards for one more game.

"I'm not tired." Keith countered, despite his constant yawning. "When did Gorma tell you I could get out of here? I'd like to go to my room at some point of my existence."

"Patience my dear Commander and Chief, you're not completely well yet. You still look like shit. As long as your hemoglobin is low, Gorma won't let you go." He answered in a musical tone. "Like my little tune?"

Although partly true, Lance lied. He didn't want to tell Keith he was still being kept under suicide watch. Each member of his team took turns and watched over him from the observation window. So far, he hadn't tried again, but then, they knew how smart Keith could be. His meals were brought in paper cups and plates and his cutlery was plastic.

Keith sighed in frustration, "Lance, I feel fine now." He lied.

"Look at the bright side; you are looking less yellow every day." He ignored Keith's last comment. "How about this, I'll talk to Gorma tomorrow and see if I can take you to the rec room. We can finish our card game in there."

"Lance, I'm not going to do _that_ again." Keith looked at his friend seriously.

Lance ignored the intimidating stare, "I know buddy. I know. We just need you to build up your strength, that's all. "

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, "Come in," Lance hollered.

Allura walked in a bit timidly, "Hi,"

Lance looked at her, "Hey Princess," he answered gently as she gave him a quick smile.

She turned her attention to the man lying on the bed, "Hello Keith."

"Hello," he answered. She noticed that he didn't smile at her. His eyes raised to look at her briefly then lowered almost immediately.

Lance stood up noticing his friends' interaction. He thought it might be better if he'd leave, giving Keith and Allura a bit more freedom to talk. "Well, I must be going; I need to...be somewhere." He put the deck of cards back on the table and took his leave.

There was an uncomfortable silence that lingered in the air like dust settling after a sandstorm. Allura knew it was now up to her to rattle Keith out of the darkness and it was she who needed to help him see. But, she had trouble finding a way how.

"You're looking better." She finally told him as she took a step forward, but kept her distance from him.

"Thanks," he answered, not looking at her directly, "I'm feeling...better."

"Are you?" the princess tilted her head as she asked, "I mean, do you feel glad that you're back with us?"

"Of course I do," Keith answered, sounding a bit unsure. "I'm glad I'm here."

She looked at him, unconvinced, "Maryann said your withdrawal symptoms will go away, but it will take some time."

He nodded stiffly, "Sure," now he sounded unconvinced.

"I know you must feel very confused, but I promise, you'll feel much better in time."

Keith sighed in frustration as he played with the deck of cards on the table. "I don't think that's ever going to happen. It's like I know they are the enemy, but I can't help feeling an allegiance to them...to him."

"You won't...give yourself time to understand." She carefully reached for his hand, but he retracted it abruptly. Ignoring his actions, Allura continued. "I know it must be hard for you now, but you need to be patient."

His head came up, and for a moment, Allura thought she saw a look of deep anger in his eyes that was gone a moment later as he looked away again. However, his tone was normal as he continued to speak.

"I just want to feel I'm in the right place, I really do." He told her, shaking his head.

"You will, I know you will." She reassured him.

A moment later, her comm. went off, "This is Allura."

"Allura, come to the control room please." Sven's voice from the comm. called out.

"Something wrong?"

A pause, "Just something that needs your attention."

"I'll be right over." She looked up at Keith, "I'll be right back. Maybe you can show me how to beat Lance at poker."

He didn't look at her, but noticed the change in her tone, _something is going on,_ he said to himself as he gently answered her, "Sure."

Allura turned around and walked out of the room, but before leaving MedTech, she stopped at the front desk to speak to Grace, who sat filling out some paperwork. "I need to go to the control room. Keep Keith busy till I come back."

"Yes, of course Princess." The nurse answered as she stood up and walked around the desk.

VVVVVVVVVV

"You don't seem to understand, Lieutenants, what I am telling you. I am capable of sending all my armies to bring my son back. I am asking nicely, a rare attribute for me to display. You should take advantage of it while you have the chance."

Sven and Lance stood tall, glaring at Zarkon as he spilled the words loosely through the Vidscreen.

"Do you think we would voluntarily give up Keith?" Lance questioned sarcastically, "Please, you're more delusional than we gave you credit for."

"Give him back to me!" Zarkon now shouted, his nostrils flaring like a volcano's rising fumes before it erupts.

"Not a chance!" Sven yelled back. Romelle stood proudly next to her fiancé, her eyes igniting hatred that could burn the Vidscreen through.

Pidge and Hunk stood behind them and heard the doors to the control room open. They turned to watch Allura walk in, pass them and stand next to her cousin, "What do you want Zarkon?"

"You know exactly what I want. I want Kogane back!"

"How dare you have the audacity to order us to give him back after everything you've done to him!"

"I've given him a chance to be possibly the greatest ruler in this galaxy."

Allura didn't even have a chance to reply, "You almost killed him!" Romelle countered.

Zarkon shook his head in obvious regret, "A minor setback caused by Lotor. I guarantee it won't happen again. You do have to admit this proves once again that my son is even stronger than we all give him credit for."

"Bastard," Romelle spilled out with intense hatred. "You are a sick bastard."

"Enough of this! I'm giving you…" the king suddenly cut off his next statement when he saw another person walk in the control room and smiled. The others turned to see Keith. Wearing his robe over his hospital gown, he walked slowly but steady into the room.

Both king and son stood in silence for a long while, Keith spoke first, "I'm not coming back." he simply told him.

"It's not a matter of me telling you to come back, or they telling you to stay there." Zarkon replied. "It's about you trying to convince yourself, son."

His voice felt familiar, good. It sickened him as much as it pleased him. Keith felt even more disturbed at this feeling.

Zarkon just stared at him, seeing past his pale pallor and weakened state, "I still sense your allegiance to me, son. I know you want to come back to us."

Lance was about to step up, but Maryann motioned him to stop. She shook her head at him, wanting to see Keith's reaction to Zarkon's statement.

The king continued taunting him, "Come home now, son. You look ill. I promise you, I'll take care of everything. You're in pain. I'll make it better. You want to forget, I know you want to. I can make you forget this life that hurts you. Start new…fresh…with us."

Silence again. The offer seemed so tempting. Keith looked at his group briefly, then at Zarkon. He smiled at the king. The group's eyes were now on him, _Oh no, _Sven thought to himself.

"I am…where I'm supposed to be." Keith finally answered. "I may be ill, but I'll get better. Just know this… Zarkon," his voice became stronger, his smile faded, "I don't want to forget. If I forget, it's like I'm forgiving you. That can never happen. I will make sure you pay for everything you've done to me. Everything. That's MY promise to you." Finished, he turned and began to walk away.

"Son, I haven't given up on you." Zarkon replied in a calm voice. "I know that you are not your _true_ self, but know that you will come back to me. And just to prove it, I'll make this simple for you to understand."

Keith turned around to look back at the king. Allura noticed the beginnings of perspiration on his temples. His hands shook despite him hiding them in his pockets.

"If you don't return to me within twenty four hours, I will send a fleet large enough that even you won't be able to stop me. I'll destroy everything that you supposedly care about." The king's eyes moved to the Princess of Arus. A menacing smile formed in his lips. "Remember, I know enough about you to know what your next moves are…son."

That stopped Keith. He closed his eyes feeling a tinge of defeat but also preparing for another word fight with the King. Fortunately, Allura beat him to it. "Send them!" she broke in as she hit the button forcefully to terminate the connection.

Keith turned and looked at her, stunned. A look of despair entered his eyes, "You don't know what you've done."

"I do." The princess gently answered him as she walked over to him, "We'll take care of it," Allura looked at Lance and Sven, who nodded immediately at her, "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room."

Before he walked out, Keith stopped and looked at his team, "I want to know everything. No secrets, no lies, no cover ups," he ordered. "Got it?"

"No problem Chief," Lance answered with a slight grin, "We'll keep you posted."

VVVVVVVVVV

They made it back to his room a few minutes later. Keith walked in first as Grace stopped the Allura, "I'm sorry Princess, he just slipped out."

"That's ok Grace. Don't worry; I would have been more surprised if he had stayed."

Grace sighed with relief.

"I'll be in here with him. Make sure no one disturbs us unless it is necessary."

"Yes Princess."

Allura walked into the room to find him already in bed and breathing a bit uneasily, his hand on his chest. He body still shook.

"Do you want me to call Dr. Gorma?" her brow furrowed, worried.

He shook his head, "No, I'm finding myself still a bit tired after even the slightest effort." Keith settled back, "That was one gutsy move you pulled on fa… Zarkon." he continued, and then sighed in frustration.

"I only did what you would have done." _If all this would have happened to me_, she thought.

The commander became quiet, pensive. "I had to push myself to say those things to him."

"You didn't mean them?"

He took a deep breath, "Yes and no." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "It's so damn confusing...inside my head."

"It will take some time…"

"Stop telling me this!" He finally shouted, exasperated and tired of hearing the same thing over and over. "You don't know what it's like! You all tell me it will get better, but none of you understand...everything in my head feels so jumbled. It's like I don't know who to trust... what to feel...who I am. I'm so fucking lost, I can't stand it!"

She didn't know what to tell him. No words would work. So, Allura allowed herself to do the first thing she thought of, she walked over, bent down and hugged him, but he jerked himself away from her almost immediately.

"Get away from me!" Keith shouted as he shook. "Don't…don't touch me."

"Keith…" Allura withdrew from him. "Why do you feel the need to get away from me?"

"No," he shook his head. "I can't…" he looked away as his shaking increased. "I can't…just don't."

She withdrew a few steps and looked at him, "Keith, you don't have to be sorry about anything."

He didn't answer her but when he looked up at her, his face showed his confusion. "That's not true…why won't you…" Keith whispered, but he didn't finish.

"Keith, I…"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door and the entrance of Dr. Gorma. "Your Highness, I don't mean to interrupt, but thought I should check on the commander." The doctor's gaze fell on his patient, who looked anxious and nervous. "Allura, why don't you wait outside?"

"But…"

The doctor gave her a signal with his eyes that told her to go. Obediently, she stepped out. Once Allura left, he turned to the commander. "Keith, you're experiencing an anxiety attack, now I'm going to give you something to relax you." The doctor told him as he withdrew an injection from his lab pocket.

"No! I don't want to sleep! Don't put me to sleep. I'm not letting you do this!" Keith almost shouted as he shook his head nervously.

Gorma put his hand on the commander's shoulder to try to calm him, "You won't, and I promise you, this will not put you to sleep. It's just to lower your heart rate and help you relax. Keith, you'll sleep when you feel like it. Okay?"

The commander hesitated for a moment, "I can't sleep, Doctor. I can't wake up."

"It won't happen, I promise." Gorma gently injected him and ordered him to lie down and just calm down. "I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you."

Keith nodded again as the doctor turned to leave.

Outside Allura waited. "What happened?"

Sighing, the doctor answered, "A mild anxiety attack. Coran notified me about what happened in the Control Room. My guess is that Zarkon's call is what brought it on."

Allura kept quiet, she had another idea as to what might have caused it. Gorma continued speaking, "I gave him an extremely mild sedative, just enough to give him some time to calm down. Maybe you should visit him tomorrow."

"Sure, thank you Doctor." She nodded uneasily.

Gorma gave her a sympathetic smile. "Allura, it will take him some time to find himself again."

"I understand. It's just…I hate seeing him this way."

The doctor nodded. "I know. I can only help him physically. The rest is really up to him."

Sighing, Allura replied, "Well, you know…if there…"

"Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll notify you immediately."

The princess nodded and although it took all her resolve to leave MedTech, she gently turned and walked out.

xxxxxxxxxx

As Allura stepped out of MedTech , she ran into Maryann, Lance and Sven, who were about to walk in. "Princess, I came to check on the commander. After what happened in the control room…."

"Dr. Gorma gave him a sedative for the evening." Allura began, "He had an anxiety attack."

"Is he okay now?" Sven asked.

"He's resting." Allura answered them.

Maryann nodded. "I expected it. This was his first encounter with Zarkon after returning to his normal self."

Walking over to the nearby chairs, Allura sat down as she asked, "I don't know how to reach Keith. I keep telling him that he couldn't control his actions, but I feel that it just gets worse every time I tell him that."

"I see." The doctor replied pensively.

"What? What is it?" The Lance asked curiously.

Maryann sighed, "Alright, I have this theory. Keith seems to be a man who likes being in control of things right?" Allura nodded. "Well, when he asks for forgiveness and everyone keeps telling him, it's not his fault…it's…it's like you don't allow him to accept his part of it. You're not allowing him to control his only means of…making restitution with all of you."

The princess stayed quiet for a moment lost in thought.

"I guess it's my turn to ask you, what you are thinking about." The professor inquired.

"He pushes me away, Maryann. Do you think…"

"Allura, I think he feels the most guilt when it comes to you, for what he feels he did to you. And you're not allowing him the control of seeking absolution from you."

"Then what should she do?" Sven sighed with frustration.

The professor took Allura's hands within hers, "Accept his forgiveness and we'll go from there."

VVVVVVVVVV

The next few weeks passed by rather quickly. Allura found herself spending most of the days with Keith, just having superficial conversations, playing games, and watching some Earth programs that Hunk had lent them.

During these times with him, she found Keith to be quiet and very withdrawn. They were times where she thought he was lost within his own mind, reliving everything he had done. She tried pulling him slowly back, but found it hard at times.

The times he'd fall asleep during the day were the worse, as he had horrible nightmares and Allura would have to wake him up. His moods grew worse during those times, causing the occasional anxiety attack, but Allura could tell he fought against his bouts of withdrawals and sudden anger even though that sometimes they beat him.

One Saturday morning, Allura had asked Dr. Gorma if she could take Keith out to the gardens for a stroll. Although, not happy at first, the doctor soon decided to give up the battle with the Princess of Arus.

"Allura, he's still has a pretty low immune system and even though his anxiety attacks have decreased, I don't want something from the outside to provoke them."

Sighing, Allura began her counter argument, "Come on Dr. Gorma, it's a very pretty day. You know that there's no rain on Arus before fall hits and I promise not too keep him out for too long. He's been cooped up in the castle for a while. I'm amazed he hasn't tried to escape MedTech again. And as for the anxiety attacks, maybe a moment outside will help him relax. It has to be better than the four walls he stares at all day!"

"Fine!" The doctor shook his head, frustrated. "I can't win with any of you. Half an hour and I mean it Princess!"

She kissed the doctor on the cheek and with a smile, she told him, "Thanks Doctor. I promise I'll follow orders."

Once she was gone, the doctor rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure…that will be a first."

VVVVVVVVVV

She knocked before entering, but didn't hear a reply, so the princess gently opened the door and whispered, "Keith? Is it ok if I come in?"

Again, she heard no answer. Knowing no one else was in the room since Hunk and Pidge had visited earlier for a couple of minutes and were now on patrol, Allura walked in to find the commander moaning softly in bed. He was dreaming. The dreams had decreased by the day, but his behavior after them had not.

Allura quickly went by his side to stir him into wakefulness. "Keith…wake up." She gently caressed his face.

His brow knitted together, he continued moaning, unable to wake from whatever had him trapped in his dream.

"Keith…"

"No…" he whispered. "Don't…"

"Keith wake up." She called out a little louder.

His face began to contort into one of pain, "just …kill me."

"Keith, wake up!" Allura shook him.

He gasped and opened his eyes, looking about the room, trying figure out where he was at the moment. His gaze finally shifted to Allura, who still caressed his face and offered him a warm smile. "You had another nightmare."

He swallowed hard and nodded, but now flinched at her touch.

The princess stepped away. It had been several weeks, but he still would not allow her to touch him, "You want to talk about it?"

Keith shook his head and his eyes dimmed as he looked out the window. Sighing and not wanting to push him, Allura changed the subject. "I got Dr. Gorma to agree it would do you some good to get some fresh air. How about a nice walk in the gardens?"

"I don't feel like going Princess." He replied flatly, not bothering to look at her.

"It will do you some good, Keith." She tried reasoning again.

"No." he firmly stated.

"It's just for a half…"

"Damn it…leave me the hell alone!" Keith yelled at her.

His tone startled her, but Allura refused to give up on him. "I will not leave you alone."

Keith turned to her slightly, trying to intimidate her for only a moment, "Allura…just let… me… be."

The princess shook her head, "No, you've given up on yourself, but I won't let you do that."

He laughed at her sarcastically, "Give it up Princess….realize that I'm not worth saving. You should have just let me die at the lake."

"Don't say that." Allura answered him in an angry tone.

"You have too much fucking faith in me."

"Damn you Keith! What does it take for you to realize that…"

"What? That it wasn't my fucking fault!" he snapped sarcastically.

"But it is your fucking fault!" Allura finally shouted.

The lone statement seemed to shock him; for the first in weeks, he stared at her straight in the eyes. "What did you just say?"

She nodded, confirming the statement she had just stated, "You heard it. It is your fault." Allura walked away from him and to the window where she faced him again. "It's your fault that you can't accept that there are things you can't control…no matter how much you try to control them. It is your fault that you don't want to make an attempt to make it better for yourself. It is your fault that you are pushing us away. We all could have fallen under Zarkon's crazed antics. What would you have done if it would have been me? Would you have treated me, or Sven, or Lance, or Pidge or Hunk the same way you are treating yourself?"

Keith stared at her in disbelief, listening to every word she said to him.

"I'm not saying this is easy for you. I, myself, wouldn't know if I could be as in control as you are now. I know that you don't feel it, but we're astonished at how you're taking this. But…you can't keep abusing yourself like this…do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

He maintained his silence for a long moment, but finally, he simply nodded at her. "I'm…sorry about that."

Allura smiled. "Apology accepted. Now, can you take a walk with me in the gardens?"

VVVVVVVVVV

Pidge and Hunk continued patrolling the skies, looking for any signs of Lotor or Zarkon. The last several weeks had been a bizarre and nerve racking. Since the king's threat, nothing had transpired; no attacks, no fleets, nothing that signaled an impending attack from Zarkon. No one understood what could be happening at Doom.

"This is the weirdest thing." Pidge shook his head as they made one more round of patrolling. "They know we're at our weakest and they still haven't attacked?"

"I know what you mean." Hunk replied. "I'm surprised too. Zarkon seemed pretty adamant about wanting Keith back. I was expecting that fleet to show their faces long before now."

Pidge stayed quiet for a moment, looking at his radar, before he spoke again, "You think it will ever be the same?"

At that question, Hunk frowned and paused to think before answering, "I think he'll find his way back. We're just expecting things to be fixed overnight and real life isn't that way. There's a reason why patience is a virtue that we, as humans, lack at times."

From his vidscreen, Hunk saw Pidge nod. "As for things being the same? I doubt it. It will be different, not necessarily bad, but different." Hunk stopped speaking when he heard his radar suddenly pick up a signal, "Hey,"

"Yeah, I picked up on it too."

"Control, we're picking up an unidentified aircraft coming into Arus airspace." Hunk called in.

From the control room, both men heard Lance reply, "I'm on it. Hold position until I tell you to do otherwise."

"Holding position." Hunk answered. He hoped that their short luck would not end soon.

VVVVVVVVV

They walked through the circular garden in silence at first, but idly began small talk as they walked. A majestic fountain decorated the middle as a brick trail led the path around it. About a mile in diameter, the garden held different types of flowers and plants around the outer edge and around the fountain itself. One door led you in and out of the garden. Even though the garden was sealed within the castle, sunlight still radiated around the area and simulated soft breezes lingered around, still giving the feeling that one was outside in uncontrolled natural surroundings.

The princess had waited patiently for him to change into a pair of black sweatpants and a black and white hoodie before walking out. Allura inwardly smiled as she walked with him. She was amazed at what a little sunlight could do. Keith's semblance changed a bit. Even his pale complexion had diminished slightly during their walk. He kept his hands in his pockets as they walk around. It seemed to be Keith's M.O. whenever Allura was around to keep any part of his body away from her.

"It's a pretty day." She mentioned to him, trying to break the silence.

"It's bright." He told her. "It's been a while since I've seen such brightness."

Allura knew what he meant, but kept quiet. "See, you have to give me credit Commander. I got you out of MedTech for a while. A feat, even Lance couldn't accomplish."

He smiled a bit, "That's true Princess. I have to find a way to pay you back for it." Keith tried to joke, but the tone wasn't quite there. At least Allura knew he was trying to make an effort.

"That's ok. Just give me an extra hour of sleep when we resume lion practice and we'll call it even." Allura noticed how he suddenly looked tired, even though he tried to hide it by continuing to walk. Changing tactics, Allura suggested, "Mind if we take a break, I was so excited that Dr. Gorma let you out for a while that I didn't bother changing out of my heels and my feet are taking a beating." She smiled.

Noticing Allura's heels under her maroon sundress, Keith nodded, "Sure. Would you like to go back?"

"No, not at all. Just a small break and I'll be fine. Besides, we've made most of the circle and we're only a few minutes away from the doors."

They sat on a bench overlooking the fountain that sat in the middle of the garden. "Gorma told me today and he wants you to spend one more week in MedTech and then you're out. "

"One more week?" Keith asked. Ironically, the one place he always wanted to leave was the one place he now saw as a safe haven. Leaving would mean so many other things to think about. "That's…great." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but Allura saw right through him.

"Well, don't get too excited. Coran doesn't want you to take command just yet."

"Oh," he sounded suspicious.

"He wants you to take it easy, I mean." Allura answered naturally. "Coran wants you to begin your exercise regimen and Nanny is already talking about a type of diet to get your weight back up." She laughed.

Keith smiled a bit, but didn't look at her.

"Why don't you look at me anymore?" She suddenly asked as she pushed her hair back behind her ear.

"What do you mean?" he asked suddenly feeling a bit unease.

Allura sighed, "Ever since you…remembered, you don't look at me. Sometimes I feel that you…don't want to be with me anymore."

"No!" He snapped, "No, that's not it at all…I just….Allura," Keith" Keith took a deep breath before he answered her. "I'm so ashamed of what I did to you. I took a part of you that you should have given up on your terms, with someone you cared about. Someone you…loved…and I ruined that."

The princess stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say, how to tell him. She knew this was her opportunity. "Keith, I'm going to move closer to you and I don't want you to pull away."

"Allura, I…"

"Please. I need to tell you something and this is the only way I know how to do it. _Please?_"

Hesitant, he only nodded slightly. She moved closer to him on the bench until she was almost right next to him. His breathing became a little heavier, but he did well on his promise. He never pulled back.

"Can I take your hand?" Allura whispered.

He shook his head, but she lightly grazed her finger on along the back of his hand, "Please Keith?" He flinched at first, but she slowly and gently took his hand and intertwined it within hers. "Look at me Keith, I want you to look at me."

Slowly, Keith raised his gaze toward Allura until he met her eyes. She smiled and leaned a bit closer to him. "I've missed you. I've missed you so much." She whispered.

He stared at her with wonderment and ambiguity. "I don't understand." He told her looking straight into blue eyes that welcomed him with a gentle kindness.

She smiled nervously and leaned a bit closer to him "Keith, I…"

"Keith!" the couple heard another voice call out. Instantly, Keith withdrew his hand from Allura's and looked around. Within moments, both saw Erin Hawkins walk up to them. "Hello." She smiled at them both, "I came to see you. The nurses at MedTech were kind enough to tell me where you were." She paused when she noticed how close they are sitting together, "Did I interrupt something?"


	39. Chapter 39

I love my editor! MUAH!

Sorry guys…REALLY busy two weeks. Enjoy!

_"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."-_Anonymous

Chapter 39: Acceptance

Three weeks before…

"If you don't return to me within twenty four hours, I will send a fleet large enough that even you won't be able to stop me. I'll destroy everything that you supposedly care about. Remember, I know enough about you to know what your next moves are…son."

The king watched as his son closed his eyes, he knew that was a sign of weakness. Kogane would return to him and he could resume with making his kingdom the greatest in the galaxy. What he didn't expect was the princess' sudden action.

The woman briskly walked over to the console and yelled at him. "Send them!" before she broke the connection.

Zarkon's fist slammed the control of his console, breaking some of the buttons. Beyond rage, he turned around and walked out of the room. Everything he had worked for ruined. The commander, back to his old self, now retaliated against him. _Damn Voltron Force!_

Walking toward his room, he decided to regroup his thoughts. The next course of action would be to send a fleet to bring his son back. He wouldn't give him up, the commander, a rare jewel to him, would not leave his grasp.

He took out his communication unit. "Cossack! Prepare a fleet, we're heading to Arus. I'm bringing my son home, whether he likes it or not!"

Cutting communication, he turned and headed for his closets to prepare when he heard the door to his room open. "What do y-" he began to bark out, but stopped; shocked to see the figure that entered.

"Your son?" Lotor stared at his father with pure hatred, "Even after all that has happened you still consider him worthier than me?" He whispered with disbelief.

Zarkon didn't understand why Lotor stood in front of him. The witch had told him she could only bring one back with the power of the amulet. But here, in front of him, was his worthless mistake. This, however, didn't stop him from answering Lotor's question, "He did more in his short time here than you did in two years. There's no reason for me to call him anything else than what he is, my rightful son and the future king of Doom."

"You're a bastard!"

"And you're useless!" Zarkon fired back, "Consider yourself lucky that Haggar allowed you to stay."

"Lucky doesn't even begin to describe it, Father!"

Suddenly, the door opened once more and Haggar stepped in. Zarkon glared at her, "What is the meaning of this? I thought you said the amulet would only allow one to live?"

"That is correct, my lord." She cackled.

"So what the hell is he doing here?"

"Lotor is the chosen one, my lord." The witch told him forcefully as she walked around the sitting area. "You, my King, are nothing more than a means to an end."

Surprised by the Haggar's, callous words, Zarkon turned around to find Lotor pointing the amulet at him. "Your time to rule is over Father. I'm taking over and I'll prove to the Empire what I am capable of. Without you, I'll triumph over the Voltron Force. I am a mistake, but the mistake to your downfall."

The amulet began shinning brightly until the entire room was engulfed with bright, scorching, yellow light. Lotor couldn't see anything beyond the light, then, he heard a scream. His father's screams boomed inside the entire room. And finally, a flash. Able to see again, Lotor watched as the witch laughed, in the area where she stood before. No one else was present.

"Where is he?" He asked, still unsure about the plan. Haggar had hidden Lotor within the castle while the power of the amulet healed his wounds. The amulet had also brought the king back to life, but only for a short while. Now that Lotor was strong again; he took over as guardian of the magical timepiece. It was his duty to return the power he had borrowed to keep his father alive that is why he was the only one who could lock Zarkon within the confines of the charm.

"His spirit lives within the amulet now." She plainly stated. "Remember what I told you. I would bring both of you back, but only one would live...in the world outside the amulet. The other would live within the amulet." She walked toward the new king and gently took the amulet from his hand. "You chose wisely Lotor. You have the chance now to rule, to become better than your father."

The witch placed the amulet over his neck, "Just remember one thing…my King. Just like the amulet brought you back from death, it can return you to the darkness your fathers lives in now." She smiled. "I am not as dirty as your Father…I'm dirtier. And even though you wear the amulet, I am the one that controls it. Do _not_ cross me. As long as you wear it, you will continue living." She told him before leaving the former prince alone in the room.

Lotor looked at the piece of jewelry that now hanged from his neck. To think this is what was actually keeping him alive. He sighed. Knowing the witch was not done with him, Lotor knew he had to start thinking of a way to get out of the horrendous pact he had made with Haggar. His father was right about one thing…the witch could not be trusted. But, not at the moment; he'd have to study more this dark talisman before making a move.

Lotor took out his comm. unit. For now, he'd have to exercise patience; there were other things he had to take care of first. "Cossack…cancel the fleet. We will not attack Arus until I give the order."

"Under who's authority do I do this?" he heard the voice from the comm. demand.

"The king's…of course."

VVVVVVVVVV

The witch walked back to her laboratory calmly, dignified, victorious. She had Zarkon where she wanted him, out of the way. Placing him inside the amulet would allow her to continue with her plans. The amulet fed on anger and hate. The anger that Zarkon had within him was enough to feed the amulet for a long time. Lotor's hate grew more and more by the day, soon, he too would feed the amulet with all the hate it needed to be even more powerful.

Only one piece remained. A great sorceress always placed herself behind the scenes. She needed a strong presence in front of her who could impose fear, respect, and power. Haggar needed someone the galaxy would fear.

With time, she would dispose of Lotor, thereby bringing in a new king. A king who had the intelligence and passion to go beyond what any of the king in the galaxy had. A king who would solely listen to her…a king she would control.

Before she left the room, the witch carefully stashed away the recordings Zarkon had on the commander. After all, no one should know the secrets of the future king of the galaxy.

VVVVVVVVV

When Erin saw the couple's shocked expressions, she knew she had interrupted a deep conversation between the two.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to interrupt, I…if you want, I can wait back inside." The poor girl told them, clearly embarrassed for barging in on them.

Allura looked at Keith, who did nothing but stare at Erin guardedly. She turned to the young woman and smiled diplomatically, "No, please. We…" the princess then looked at Keith, who finally looked back at her, "we can continue our conversation later?" she nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah…sure." He answered seriously.

The princess stood up, "I'll leave you two. Keith, I'll see you later. Erin…welcome."

"Thank you, Princess." The young woman answered as Allura walked back to the entrance.

Silent for a moment, Erin could see something wrong with Keith as she studied him. This wasn't the typical behavior she had come to know from him. His gaze felt so eerie, dark, and full of misery.

"Hi," she whispered as she came closer to him.

"What are you doing here?" He didn't mean to sound rude, but lately, Keith knew his diplomatic communication skills had become non-existent.

The question shocked Erin. She had never known him to be so abrupt, so cold. "I came to see you how you were."

Walking closer to him, she sat down next to Keith, "I heard you were hurt when all of you escaped Doom."

_She doesn't know_, Keith thought of Erin's last statement. Sven had told him that neither Coran, nor the rest of the team, had notified the Garrison of what had actually transpired at Doom. The official story was that the Force had been captured, even the commander. They had escaped using their expertise. God only knew what the hell Lance and Sven had concocted on the report, but Keith could care less at the moment.

It bothered him at first that the group had lied for him, but he had already lost everything that was a part of him, and the one he loved. He couldn't lose his rank as commander. Keith knew that at some point, he'd have to turn in his command, but wanted to at least be able to control when he'd do it.

"In more ways than you know." He whispered in reply.

"Keith," Erin put her hand on his shoulder, "What happened?"

He turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a darkness she couldn't understand, "Let's just say, it was a tough…escape."

She nodded, knowing he didn't want to speak any more about the subject. "I heard you're on leave."

"For a while." He answered her, but then fell quiet. He stared straight ahead for a moment then seemed to remember her presence, "Erin, thank you for coming to see me, but…I'm just not very good company right now. I hate to sound cold, I just…"

Erin watched him struggle with himself. Whatever had happened, it hadn't passed. Her heart ached for him and she felt an overwhelming temptation to take him into her arms.

She leaned over and hugged him. Taken by surprise, Keith thought he'd pull away, but didn't. The woman didn't have the same effect on him that Allura did. Still, he couldn't find the desire or need to return the gesture as he sat rigidly still. Keith hated the cold person he was becoming as she finally pulled away from him.

Feeling the tension coming out of him, the young girl suggested, "You look like a person who needs to sort out things. Why don't you come back to Earth with me?"

Keith pulled back away from her even more, "What?"

"Come back with me." She smiled. "Whatever happened took its toll on you. Maybe a change in scenery will help you clear your head, help you think…I…I can help you."

Keith shook his head, "I…"

"Hey, don't think about it. Just do it. We can revisit all those places we use to go to before you got assigned here." Erin interrupted, sounding excited. "When was the last time you went to your favorite place…the beach. Keith, breath the sea air, feel the sand under your feet, just get away from here, wouldn't you want that?"

The commander remained quiet, thinking. A place that didn't remind him of the many things that had occurred in the last two months or so, it sounded tempting. He sighed, continuing to think. Erin wasted no time continuing to convince him.

xxxxxxxxxx

Allura walked into her room with a heavy sigh. Why was it that every time she tried to confess her love to Keith, she had some type of interruption making an appearance?

"This is ridiculous!" She voiced her frustrations. "What the hell is this, some crude joke?"

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. The princess went over and opened it. "What!"

Romelle's eyes widened in surprise, "By that outburst, I guess you know."

Allura sighed and stepped back to let her cousin walk in. "I was about to tell him everything and Erin just showed up. I mean, she was the last person I expected to see."

"Where are they now?"

"In the garden." Allura snorted as she walked over to look out the window. "Probably confessing her love for him! God knows she couldn't keep her hands off of him the last time she was here."

Romelle knew her cousin was worried, but she couldn't help to laugh a bit as she sat down on the bed, "Allura, I'm sure Keith will not be receptive to her."

"And how do you know that?" The princess asked as she turned back, her expression hopeful.

The young woman shrugged, "He loves you Allura. He always has." Romelle answered, "And if his behavior toward you has been so erratic, it's because he's fighting his mixed feelings of love and guilt for you."

Taking a seat next to Romelle, Allura shook her head, "I was able to touch him for the first time in weeks Romelle. He let me touch him and he actually looked at me. You have no idea how hard it has been for him to do that for me."

"It's progress." Romelle embraced her cousin with affection.

"Yeah, but…is Erin taking it all back?"

xxxxxxxxxx

"I can ask for a leave at the Academy and maybe we can go to the Caribbean." Erin continued as Keith listened. She listed many other things they could do before he interrupted her.

"Erin…"

"Keith, see the possibilities of a well deserved leave." She told him, caressing his cheek as she continued talking over him.

The commander thought of those possibilities. Ideas of seeing Earth again, being away from all the pain he felt and the pain he caused, for a moment, it seemed possible. His thoughts had taken him so far away that Keith didn't notice when Erin had moved closer to him and attempted to kiss him. Immediately, he pulled back. "Erin, no." he told her.

The young woman pulled back, "I'm…sorry. I thought…"

He shook his head, "Erin…I can't. This isn't…right."

Erin studied her former lover's eyes and found what he hadn't told her in words, "You're in love with the princess."

The commander sighed, but didn't reply.

"Talk to me Keith. Are you in love with Princess Allura?" The woman repeated and she continued to study him, looking for signs of confirmation.

"Erin…I don't want to…" he sighed in frustration.

"Damn it, tell me! Keith, I came for you… You…you know what I feel for you. I still love you. Please, tell me." Erin begged, hoping that her suspicion would never become a confirmation.

He nodded slowly as he quietly stated, "I'm in love with her Erin."

That sole statement felt like a punch in the stomach to the young woman. She finally looked away from him, staring straight ahead at the flowers in front of them. They both remained silent for a long while. She tried processing the statement, just as he did, having finally voiced it aloud.

Sighing, Erin spoke first, "Does she know?"

"Yes,"

"Does she share your sentiments?"

Keith shook his head, "No. But…it wouldn't matter either way now. I…don't deserve her."

Astonished, Erin turned back to him, "Why would you think that? Keith, you deserve her just as much as she deserves you."

He looked at her darkly, "No," he told her firmly, "I don't deserve her…I've…I've done so many…" Keith couldn't finish.

Erin took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Maybe you haven't seen it, but I noticed something when I interrupted you and the princess. Keith, maybe you think she doesn't love you. Maybe there are so many things you are dealing with that you can't see, but I believe the princess has strong feelings for you."

"We have a friendship." Keith answered, shaking his head, his frustration obvious in his tone.

She didn't reply, not wanting to frustrate further. Erin just held his hand, "I'll miss you." She finally told him.

Keith didn't reply at first, but then turned to her, "You're very special, Erin. I know you'll find someone…someone who truly deserves you."

"You will too." _Sooner than you think._

VVVVVVVVVV

"Do you think they've finished talking?" Allura asked as she stared at the scenery outside the large window of her room.

Romelle stood up from the bed and walked over to her cousin, "I don't know." She shrugged. "But I'm sure it won't be long."

Sighing, the princess looked at Romelle with sadness in her eyes, "I want to feel…safe. Safe that I still have his love."

"You have it." Her cousin replied. "You always have."

"You know what I miss about him…his smile. Romelle, Keith had this smile that just made me light up." She looked a little chagrined, "I know it sounds corny, right?"

The Polluxian princess shook her head, "No, it doesn't. So tell me about this smile our gallant commander possesses."

This time Allura giggled, "His smile was unique, full of warmth and contentment. Full of hopes and expectations…full of faith and devotion."

"That's some smile Allura." Romelle said hugging her cousin from the side.

"Maybe that's how I like to remember it." The princess replied, pausing for a bit before she continued. "I haven't seen that smile in a very long time. I might never see it again."

"Maybe not for now, but someday." Romelle smiled at her cousin, "You need to have faith that you will see it again."

Turning, Allura embraced her cousin fiercely, "I don't know how I was so blessed to have you in my life. You are more than my cousin Romelle. You're my best friend, my sister, and my voice of reason. How could I ever repay you for what you've done for me?"

"Allura, what are you talking about?" Romelle furrowed her brows in surprise.

Sighing, the Princess of Arus answered, "You and Sven have supported us so much! I know you have so many things to do on Pollux, yet, here you are…with me…thank you."

"No thanks needed. I don't doubt you and Keith would have done the same thing for us." Romelle replied caressing her cousin's hair. "Now you made it harder to tell you this."

"What?"

"Sven and I are needed back on Pollux. Bandor is desperate for Sven to train our armies should an attack arise on our end as well." A sad look entered her face, "We have to go home."

Nodding in understanding, Allura hugged her cousin, "Of course! Pollux needs you both now. We'll be fine. You and Sven have done so much already…I don't know how to repay you."

"Well…" Romelle smiled. "When Sven and I finally marry, make sure that Keith is your escort."

"Okay?" Allura answered, a bit confused.

The Princess of Pollux smiled, "Well, it would look pretty weird if the maid of honor and the best man have different dates."

"Oh!" Allura giggled in comprehension.

"Do you think Erin and Keith have finished their conversation?" Romelle revisited Allura's earlier question again.

"It's been a while." Her cousin answered as she glanced at a clock. "Let's find out."

VVVVVVVVV

As both princesses made their way toward the garden, Allura's comm. unit began to chime in. Picking it, the princess answered it, "This is Allura."

She recognized Sven's voice immediately, "Can you come over to the landing bay?"

The princess looked at her cousin confused. Romelle shrugged as well, not knowing what was happening.

"Sure. Is there an emergency?"

"No, Erin just wanted to say goodbye to you and asked me if you could please come and see her off."

"Of course, I'll be right there." Allura immediately stated, hoping that her last statement hadn't come out with a tone of shock and even excitement her heart and body felt. Turning to Romelle, she asked, "What do you think happened?"

"I'm betting that Erin didn't receive the answers she had hoped for on this visit."

Walking past the garden entrance, they continued to their destination until they reached the hallway that would take them to the landing bay. Once Allura and Romelle arrived, they found Erin and the entire Force sans Keith waiting for them. This surprised Allura, but Sven quickly put her fears to rest.

"He's alright." Sven smiled.

Erin looked at the princess, "He's fine Princess, albeit, in some trouble. Seems like Dr. Gorma walked over to the gardens and picked up Keith himself when he didn't return to MedTech."

"He did?" Allura made a face, remembering that she had told the doctor she'd bring Keith back within a half hour.

"Yeah. Kept saying no one ever listens to him. Poor Keith, who knows what else the doctor told him on the way back to MedTech."

"Don't worry, Keith is used to it. He probably tuned off his selective listening." Lance added with his hint of sarcasm. Erin laughed and shook her head while he hugged her and then said his goodbyes. The others did the same and gradually left the bay until only Allura and Erin stood alone facing each other.

For a moment, both women stood in silence, not knowing what to say to each other. However, Erin sighed and finally spoke up. "This is not easy to say." She began. "I have loved Keith for so long that I never imagined anyone else in my life other than him."

Allura listened quietly. Her blue eyes focused on the woman's hazel ones. Her body felt rigid, hard, as if she couldn't move as she waited.

Erin continued, "I wrapped my heart on this illusion, this…dream, that we would reunite and live…well, you know."

The princess, cautious to question Erin the wrong way, stepped closer to the woman and asked, "Erin, what are you trying to say?"

Sighing, the young cadet answered, "I was so engrossed with what my feelings were for him that I never bothered to pay attention as to his feelings for me. Princess…he does love me."

"What?" Allura felt her heart plummet to the ground where she stood.

Erin gave her a sympathetic smile, "Keith loves me…but as a friend. His heart has a place for me, but it longs for you."

The princess smiled. "He told you?"

The young woman nodded. "But he feels that he doesn't deserve you. Whatever happened on Doom left Keith with some big scars, I am hopeful that you will mend them."

"I'm working very hard on that." She assured her.

"Good." Erin nodded and smiled sadly. "He'll fight you, but don't let that discourage you."

"It won't."

Silent for a moment, young Erin Hawkins stated, "I care very much for Keith, Princess. Please know that, he will always be in my heart. I...I'm also hopeful that you will still allow me to be his friend."

The princess smiled broadly at the young girl in front of her and answered, "Erin, I could never take that away from either of you. Never. Thank you for telling me this. You are welcomed to Arus, any time you wish."

"Thank you Princess." Erin answered, looking clearly relieved. "I have to head back."

"Will you be alright?" asked Allura, noticing the expression on her face.

"Oh yeah." Erin nodded. "I have a lot to figure out about myself. But, I'm glad that I have the opportunity to do it. And, I'm glad Keith is in good hands. Thank you for everything you did for me." She finished.

Both women embraced as they said their final goodbyes. Erin boarded her ship and with one last wave, the doors closed. Moments later, the ship lifted up into the air and she was gone.

Allura turned around. She had a lot of things to think about before seeing Keith again.


	40. Chapter 40

"This is the true nature of home - it is the place of peace the shelter, not only from injury, but from all terror, doubt and division." John Ruskin

Chapter 40—The Search for Acceptance

The princess walked over to MedTech after seeing Erin off, just to make sure that Keith was doing alright after the encounters.

As she opened the doors, Grace immediately went to her. The nurse's eyes told Allura that something worried her and what she would tell her, would not be good.

"Princess." Grace smiled nervously. "Perhaps you may want to visit the commander a bit later."

"What happened?" Allura asked worriedly.

"Well…for some reason he came back a bit anxious. He doesn't want to see anyone for the rest of the day."

"So much for a relaxing walk in the gardens." She sighed and shook her head. "I had a feeling this would happen. I'll be back after dinner. Would you call me if there is something that needs my attention?"

Nodding, the nurse smiled. "I'll call you from time to time to let you know how he is doing."

"Thank you, Grace."

Xxxxxxxxxx

The day grew richer with sunlight and light winds feathered the leaves of the trees. Keith watched the birds fly in the sky as others disappeared within the thick oaks that carried multitudes of leaves. He made himself comfortable as he watched the day pass, from the recliner he sat in by the window. So many things ran through his mind. He'd be leaving MedTech soon and strangely, that offered no peace of mind. Keith felt more stressed than anything else. _What's going to happen after I leave this place? Will the Garrison ask questions I can't even begin to answer? Should I even tell the Garrison of the atrocious acts I committed under Zarkon's influence? If I do, will they dismiss me or demote me? Will they force me to leave Arus? And if I stay, will I ever be able to take command of Voltron again? _His heart began to pound so hard and fast that he unconsciously put his hand over his chest.

The idea of returning to Earth had sounded ideal initially. Erin made it sound so enticing, even comforting, but now…now _really_ thinking about it, it sounded like the worst possible fate. Keith had to admit to himself that he would hate to leave Arus; he would hate leaving Allura.

"Allura." He stated her name aloud as he rubbed his chest some more. "What were you going to tell me?" Keith suddenly wondered.

She looked nervous, that he remembered. It was still hard to believe he had allowed her to touch him. _After all the things I did to her._ He didn't understand. Allura was too forgiving for her own good. That's why he loved her. He loved her so much he couldn't believe he had been such an asshole to her.

Keith still wondered why she even looked at him with the softest eyes. He could still picture in his mind those soft blue eyes staring at him with such kindness and passion. "There was love in her eyes." He whispered to himself in amazement. Then, he immediately shook his head in disbelief.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Keith said to himself with disgust. "You mean nothing to her. Accept it." He told himself.

_No, it wasn't love. Maybe disappointment, pity, but not love._ How could Allura love someone like him? Keith sighed and took a deep breath trying to calm down the beating of his heart, which seemed to beat even faster each minute.

Moments later, Grace came in, "The princess came to see you. She said she'd stop by after dinner."

Keith turned to look at her and curtly nodded, then quickly turned his gaze back at the window.

She noticed his rigid body and tense stare. "Commander, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." He told her without looking back at her.

"How about some lunch then?" The nurse asked as she walked toward him to observe him easier.

"Sure." He answered curtly again. He wasn't hungry, but if he told Grace, she'd question that. The woman was very sweet, but there were times that she truly annoyed him. Keith sighed. "Lunch would be fine. Thanks Grace." _Now just leave me!_

"I'll be back in about fifteen minutes then." She smiled. The nurse could already read him like a book. She knew he wanted to be left alone.

"Alright."

Grace left, but instead of calling in her order at the nurse's desk, she went to the doctor's office. "Dr. Gorma."

"Yes, Grace." The man looked up his datapad when the nurse had walked in. Gorma knew it had to be something important. Grace never barged into his office unless it was an emergency with one of the patients. And this time, he knew who it was. "What's wrong with him?"

"I noticed him demonstrating some signs of what might be a panic attack."

"Might?" The doctor's brow furrowed in question.

"He's doing a good job controlling it, so far. I must say, he's really learning how to mask his behavior."

Gorma shook his head, "Well, he hasn't had one in days. They are lessening. I wasn't expecting them to go away in their entirety, but I had hoped they had."

"What should we do? He won't take any medication and he's pretty adamant about it."

"Keep an eye on him. If he gets worse, I'll talk to him myself. When you serve him his dinner tonight, dose his drink with a sleep aid. When he suffers from these attacks, he doesn't sleep and not resting will make it worse for him in the long run."

Grace nodded even though she wasn't too happy about drugging the commander without his knowledge. She had to admit, though, the doctor was right. Keith tended to get worse when he didn't sleep and today, he looked like he needed it. The sleep aid would induce the sleep and hopefully relax him.

XXXXXXXXX

Sitting on the mats at the gym Lance shook his head with a firm disposition, "There's no way I can do this."

Maryann laughed a bit as she sat in front of him, "You'll do fine, trust me."

"Listen, I'm all about exercise, but this is one thing I can't do."

"Don't be such a baby." She replied. He loved hearing her strong French accent every time the tone of her voice lifted in either excitement or frustration. This time it was the latter. "Yoga is very soothing and very relaxing. Now, here's the first step. Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh...with the soles upward,"

Lance did as told but didn't find anything either soothing or relaxing, instead it was painful and annoying, but he did it anyways. He liked this girl, a lot. An hour of torture might gain him another date at the gardens later in the evening.

"and place the hands on the thighs, with the palms upwards..." Maryann continued.

He looked at her. Wearing an exercise tank and leggings, he could appreciate Maryann's much toned body, silky skin and graceful features. The scientist was a knock out. _And she doesn't even know it_, he thought. All books and brains…

"Are you listening to me?" She suddenly woke him up from his thoughts.

"Of course I am!" Lance replied. "You told me this position is called the…the…Padma-asana"

Maryann nodded excitedly, "Very good!"

"See you have so little faith in me." He smiled.

"Sure." She joked back with a wink. "Now, I want you to close your eyes and try to keep your mind clear of thoughts." The young woman closed her eyes began speaking in a low voice. "Now, I want you to focus on your breathing. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth."

Once again, Lance did as instructed, but within moments, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching him. Opening one of his eyes, he began looking all over the room only to find Allura quietly staring at him and Maryann, with immense curiosity. Lance opened his eyes immediately, "Princess."

The woman's concentration was broken by Lance's voice, also opened her eyes, "Hello, your Highness."

Allura smiled uneasily, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your…well, I'm not sure what you were doing. Is this some kind of Terran mating ritual?"

Maryann's eyes almost bulged out as Lance broke out in laughter. "OH NO! Princess, no…no!"

At the scientist's outrage, Lance laughed even more.

"Lance!" Maryann yelled. "Tell her!"

After trying to calm himself a bit from his laughter, Lance began explaining, "Princess, Yoga is a Terran discipline created by people of Hindu origin. They created techniques aimed at training the mind and body to reach a state of tranquility and peace. We are working on some techniques that help to relax and calm the body."

Nodding Maryann continued, "Yes, though breathing, stretching, and reflective exercises, yoga helps the body and mind keep itself healthy."

Looking interested, Allura asked, "Would it be ok if I joined you? Unless you'd like to spend some time alone, I don't mean to interrupt."

"Of course not." Lance immediately told her. "Come join us."

Maryann smiled, "If you want Princess, I'll show you some breathing techniques and other exercises that you can use for yourself." Something told the scientist that Allura wanted to know more about yoga not just for herself but to help someone else.

"Thanks Maryann." Allura answered, reading her new friend's mind. She was so grateful toward the other woman for helping her so much for the past couple of weeks.

"Alright." The young woman nodded. "Let's begin. Let me show you the position…"

XXXXXXXXX

Later in the evening, after the group had had dinner, Allura tried once again to see Keith. However, she found that the commander didn't want to see anyone then either. "I'm sorry Princess." Grace had told her. "He's really not doing well tonight." She found out that Lance and the others had tried to see him earlier as well, but they too were denied by him.

Sighing as Grace turned her down at Keith's request once again; the princess retired to her room a little glum. She changed into her sleeping attire and went to bed.

At almost three in the morning, Allura awoke startled by a feeling of unease. Putting on her robe, she walked out of her room and over to MedTech. Grace wasn't there. Her shift had been over for hours, but a young nurse welcomed Allura. "Your Highness, are you feeling alright?" the young girl asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Just wanted to check in on the commander, if that's ok."

"He's been asleep for hours." The young woman replied. "The observation window is open if you'd like to check on him."

The princess nodded. "Thank you."

She walked over to the observation window. It was dark, but a very dim light filtered within the room enough to give her and the staff enough visibility.

It was then that she saw him softly thrashing about at first then a bit stronger until he abruptly sat up. Keith gasped for air and held his hand to his chest. He tried getting up from the bed only to drop to the floor. Allura immediately ran in and dropped down onto the floor next to him.

"Keith!"

"I…can…n't…breathe!"

"Let me get the nurses." She stated as she rose to leave, but he grabbed her hand forcefully.

"No!" he told her as he fought for air.

It was then that Allura saw the nurse that from the nurse's station run in with a syringe in her hand. Both Keith and Allura looked up at her.

Keith shook his head vehemently, "No…no…sleep."

Allura understood. They would sedate him and he hated to be sedated. "Leave. I'll take care of this." She said firmly.

"But your highness…"

"Leave!"

The other woman did as told.

When the princess turned back to the commander, he looked like the attack was getting worse as he gasped for breath. "Alright," Allura sat down on the floor beside him and put her arm around his back. "Keith, you need to calm down."

He nodded, but continued gasping for air.

"Listen to my voice." Allura began whispering in his ear smoothly and gently. "Listen to the sound of my voice."

Keith continued gasping as the princess spoke.

"Concentrate on my voice. Follow my voice."

He continued gasping as he looked at her.

"I want you to take a deep breath. Breathe with me. In through your nose and out through your mouth." She told him as she took a deep breath herself, asking him to mimic her. He tried at first, but seemed unsuccessful. Keith shook his head in frustration.

"It's ok. Let's try again." Allura said calmly. "Take a deep breath through the nose." She performed the action as mentioned, and released it through her mouth.

He tried once more and was able to do it.

"Good." Allura gently told him, her voice soothing and soft, "Now let's do it once more time deep, deep breath…in through your nose. I'm going to count to eight and then you'll release it through your mouth. One…" the princess continued gently the breathing exercise with him and then helped him sit straight up in order to fill his lungs as he continued breathing slowly with control. "Close your eyes. Concentrate. Let's do it one more time, in through your nose, out through you mouth, eight, seven…"

Keith closed his eyes. The princess felt his body relax as she held him. Keith continued concentrating on the soothing sound of her voice as he took another deep breath then slowly released it.

"Okay, you're doing fine." The princess smiled. "Let's take one last deep breath." She breathed and let it out as Keith mimicked her.

When she looked at him once more, he was breathing normally, but seemed tired and a bit pale. Keith opened his eyes and looked at her. "Thank you." He whispered to her.

"You're very welcomed." Allura answered. "Can I ask what happened?"

"Bad dream." Keith replied without another word.

"What was it about?" She asked as she rubbed his back.

"Allura…I'd rather not…talk about it." Keith shook his head as he turned his gaze away from her.

The princess sighed as she stared at his profile, "Sometimes talking about what bothers us helps facing the demons a bit easier. " She took his hand and squeezed it gently until he looked back at her. "Try telling me."

Keith took a deep breath and remained quiet for a moment before starting. "There's blood." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "At first, I think it's my own…but then I see myself holding this long thick sword and it's bathed with blood. It's someone else's blood. Somehow, I'm back in that room I was with Lance when I took him on that mission Zarkon wanted me on. I see Throk having sex with some woman….and I walk to them…and….I take the sword…." He began breathing a little heavier and the princess noticed immediately.

"It's ok. It was just a dream." Allura told him imagining what he must have seen himself do.

"That's just it!" Keith shook his head. "It wasn't Allura. It wasn't. I killed that man. I decapitated him. By my own hand!" He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Those dreams are …memories, reminders of…what…I did. It may be a distorted memory, but it was real. What I did was real." He sighed looking for a moment at the ceiling.

They both stayed quiet for a long while. Allura didn't quite know how to answer him. She looked at him and saw his spirit dim as he continued thinking. "Keith,"

He looked at her.

"You can't continue living in the past. The past is what it is, the past. It's the future we need to make it count."

"How can I forget killing someone?" His eyes began to shed tears of despair.

"You don't." The princess assured him, wiping them away softly with her finger. "You need to learn to live with that part of yourself and know that just because you live with it, doesn't mean it defines who you are."

Keith lowered his gaze, "Allura, I don't know how to do that either."

"Could you have stopped yourself from doing it?" She asked firmly.

A pause, then finally he answered. "No."

Allura smiled sadly; then she stood up, and extended her hand. He reached, took it as she helped him rise, "You couldn't control it. I saw what they did to you. Keith, I know for a fact, that wasn't you."

"Will I ever get past this?" the commander asked as he lifted his gaze to the princess again.

"You will." She answered. "With time. Come on, you need your rest."

He shook his head, "No, I don't want to go to sleep Allura. I can't handle another one of those damn dreams." Keith told her firmly.

"How about if I stay with you tonight?"

He opened his eyes wide, "Allura…"

She led him to his bed, "You don't have to sleep if you don't want to. Just lie down." The princess ordered.

He didn't know why, but he did as she told him. Allura laid down on the bed next to him and covered both of them with a blanket. "Turn onto your side Keith."

Again, he did as told and felt her spoon him, her chest firmly pressing into his back as she put an arm over his waist. Feeling uncomfortable, he said, "Allura, this isn't a good idea."

"Shhh. Go to sleep." She whispered in his ear. "If any nightmares creep into the night, I'll be right here to stop them. " She reached up to the wall and tapped the button to turn off the lights in the room.

"You can't stay up all night." The commander told her as he closed his eyes.

"That's something you don't have to worry about. Good night."

Keith was too tired and worn out to even bother arguing with her. He just sighed, and even though he thought he'd never fall asleep again, within moments a soft blanket of darkness fell over him.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Lance walked in to Keith's room to find both the commander and the princess sleeping peacefully on the bed. A crooked little smile slipped across the lieutenant's lips as he noted Keith's head resting in the nook of Allura's neck, his arm over her waist. The princess, who slept on her back, rested comfortably.

About to turn around, Lance suddenly heard Allura's voice whisper out his name. He quickly turned around to see her slowly and gently rise from bed without disturbing Keith.

When she finally rose, she went over to Lance and they both walked out of the room.

"Morning." Lance smiled, a hint of sarcasm twinkled in his eyes as both stood by the entrance door of Keith room in the hallway.

"It's not what you think. He had another panic attack last night." The princess replied solemnly as she brushed her hair away from her face with her hand.

Suddenly his smile disappeared. "How bad?"

"Pretty bad. I'm glad that Maryann taught me that breathing technique. It was the only thing that calmed him down." Allura sighed as she looked at the nurses and other healthcare staff passing by, "I thought that at this point the dreams would go away, but last night he had three and if I hadn't been there to wake him up…"

"They are gradually going away." Lance shook his head. "Maybe yesterday was just a bad night. It happens."

"Maybe." Allura shrugged.

Both silent for a moment, peaked in the observation window for a moment watching the commander still slept. Turning to the princess he suddenly suggested. "Sven and Romelle leave tomorrow morning. How about a small bon voyage party in Keith's room? Might cheer him up."

Allura thought for a moment. It didn't seem like a bad idea. "Let me ask him first. But, you're right; It wouldn't be a bad idea after all."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Allura reentered the room moments later, she noticed the bed empty as Keith walk out of the bathroom drying his face with a towel. He looked at her a bit shocked. Allura could tell that he wasn't expecting her back. "Good morning." He said a bit uneasily.

"Hi." She answered shyly.

"I'm sorry. I thought you had left earlier this morning." Keith answered knowing what she must have thought.

The princess shook her head, "No. Lance came by. I stepped outside to talk to him so as to not to disturb you."

Nodding, he asked a bit perplexed, "You stayed with me all night?"

"Yes." She nodded back.

"Thank you. Allura, I…I'm very grateful."

The princess smiled with happiness, the perfect way to start the morning. She twirled her hair, an annoying habit she had when she felt nerves creep up on her. It was then that Allura's smile withered when she realized that her hair must have been all over the place. She began to brush her hair with her hand as casually as she could muster.

Keith walked up to her, "You still look beautiful." He told her without quite meeting her eyes.

The princess let out a nervous laugh, "Thanks." They remained quiet for just a moment until Allura walked over to a mirror in the room. "Well, I'm sure that I may look acceptable to you, but I must look a bit nutty to the medical staff."

"I'm sorry. You must have not slept at all last night." Keith stated apologetically.

She turned to him, "No. I'm fine, really."

"I remember waking up a couple of times last night." Keith replied. "It was a bad night for me."

"It happens every now and again. I'm sure you'll have a better night tonight." Allura replied putting her hands inside the pockets of her robe. She looked out the window for a moment, noticing the bright day and a pair of birds walking on the ledge. Looking back at Keith, she watched him as he sat down on his bed.

"Those dreams…they suck the life out of me." He sighed heavily and remained quiet for a moment that seemed very long to Allura. It was as if he played them back in his mind right in front of her. "But last night, when I felt it do that, you stopped them."

Allura looked at him questionably.

"Your voice," he answered looking intently at her. "I heard your voice telling me I was alright. That they were just dreams and that I was with you. You pulled me out from that…place…my mind sometimes locks me into. You saved me."

The princess walked to him and cupped his face with both her hands, "I will always, always be with you Keith. I will not let you ever go to that place again."

He sighed heavily and nodded with a small smile.

Taking a seat next to him, she tried to lighten the subject, "So, what's on your agenda for today?"

Keith shrugged, "I think that Maryann is passing by to do some type of assessment on me. Then, the usual, lunch, dinner…"

He joked a bit; she laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Lance is moving Sven and Romelle's goodbye party to your room tonight. If that's ok with you?

Keith suddenly went rigid and with a nervous tone asked,, "Sven's leaving?"

"They have to go." Allura replied nodding. "They are needed on Pollux."

She could tell his mind began wandering.

"Don't worry, Keith." Allura began, placing her hand over his," We're going to be alright. Okay? We'll be alright."

The commander nodded a bit uneasily. "I guess having the group together tonight might be…fun."

"Good. That's the spirit!" The princess smiled.

"Will you stay with me for breakfast?" His voice sounded so hopeful that Allura wished she could stop her plans just to be with him, but she couldn't.

"I'm sorry. One of the council members wants to meet with me and Coran. His village is in desperate need of funds and we are discussing what we can do to help them."

"Is he coming here?"

"No. I'm heading there." She answered him. Watching the look of his face change to concern, Allura added as she squeezed his hand, "Don't worry, Lance and Hunk are coming with me and Pidge will be in control, making sure we don't have any unwelcomed visitors. We are also taking Red and Yellow with us as well."

Nodding, Keith sighed in acceptance, "Just be careful."

"I will." The princess smiled sweetly, "Pidge will drop by later this morning with some books that you had ordered from Earth. They arrived yesterday."

"Great." He answered flatly.

Standing up, the princess looked at him with a warm smile. "I promise to be careful and I'll let you know as soon as I'm back." With that, she quickly kissed him on his forehead before she left the room.

Keith didn't have a chance to respond to Allura's quick display of attention. As she turned her back toward him, he wanted to tell her something, but found no words to say. Taking a deep breath he allowed himself a small smile and just for that moment, a little bit of happiness.


	41. Chapter 41

Hi Everyone, sorry for the wait. We're at the home stretch! Is that how you say it? Hmm...

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us." – Joseph Campbell

Chapter 41-Accepting What Cannot Be

The party, a success in Allura's eyes, ended at midnight. Doctor Gorma had come in a couple of times after nine o'clock hoping to end the festivities, but as always, most of the team ignored him or gave him excuses to remain longer. Coran authorized that as long as they didn't disturb the other patients, they could remain after visiting hours. The advisor knew that he would owe the physician a bottle of Arusian wine for the trouble.

Throughout the night, Keith never complained or gave any impression that he wanted them out. Surprised that his spirits were high for a change, Allura decided to remain casual and relaxed, afraid that anything she might say or do would change what seemed to be a good night for him.

Keith never fully laughed when the others told jokes or initiated conversation during the gathering. Allura noticed how his eyes held a sadness that reflected what he still felt inside. Everyone could tell that he tried to show positivism to some degree, but it wasn't quite there. Inwardly, they all acknowledged that he'd never be the same again. He was more serious, guarded, and soon, they would realize how stoic and more calculating he would become.

Watching the room around her, Allura didn't notice her cousin sit next to her. Romelle tapped her on the shoulder, making Allura turn and offer her a smile. "It's a nice gathering. Things seem to be slowly coming back to normal."

Nodding, Allura answered, "Yes. Thank goodness."

"How was your meeting with Councilman Tolson?"

The princess shrugged, "I didn't meet with him. Councilman Tolson is extremely ill. He has a heart condition."

Romelle replied with a sympathetic nod as Allura continued, "I ended up meeting with his son Ivan, who is taking over his post until he's well again. He was telling me that his father is very respected in the village and it's been hard for him to make some decisions when the other leaders question him."

"We know the feeling don't we?" Romelle answered with a little smile.

Allura nodded. "That's what I told him. He seems like a very nice man. I told him that I'd help him in any way I could. Maybe when Keith is better, I'll ask him to mentor him."

At the mention of Keith, the Princess of Pollux smiled, "So I heard that from big mouth Lance that you and Keith slept together last night?" she whispered as Sven and Hunk congregated around Keith's bed. Lance was busy on the other side of the room whispering something to Maryann that made her laugh.

Allura barely heard her cousin and asked, "Huh?" as she watched Pidge walk back into the room with a tray full of pastries that he smuggled from the kitchen. Nanny had made them for the party earlier. The first batch was gobbled up earlier in the evening by the group without reservation. Apparently, Pidge had found the mother lode. For a second, Allura wondered what Nanny would do when she found out the guys had once again raided her kitchen. The thought however was only in her mind for a split second before she completely processed Romelle's question, "Romelle, no! No…!"

The princess giggled at Allura's expression. "I know! I was just kidding," she told her. "But seriously Allura, what's next for the two of you?"

Sighing and pausing for a moment before speaking, the Princess of Arus shrugged, "I…I don't know. I was in such a hurry to blurt out my feelings for him yesterday, but now, I seriously have no idea." Allura's gaze moved to Keith, who listened intently to some story Sven apparently was engrossed in. She looked back to her cousin, "Last night I was able to experience how he is still battling the demons Zarkon created for him. They grab and torture him; I know he will fight them for a while." She sighed again before she spoke, "I just don't want to add another burden to him."

"How could you say that?" Romelle immediately answered, her eyes furrowed in shock, "Allura, your love for him isn't a burden, it's the opposite, your love will save him."

"What do you mean?" the princess questioned with a confused tone.

"Allura, you haven't noticed the way he's been looking at you all night?"

The princess shook her head. Allura had intentionally made herself ignore him for the night, which wasn't easy. She really tried hard to behave naturally that evening to give him some room and breathing space.

"He has?" She looked back at Keith.

Smiling, Romelle answered, "Yes, he has. Allura, he's beginning to break out of his shell. You need to nudge him a little."

Sighing and pondering before replying, Allura looked at her cousin; concern still in her eyes, "I am really afraid to set him back."

"Then keep on doing what you're doing but don't miss any opportunity he gives you." Romelle replied firmly.

Perplexed, the princess asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain," Romelle answered with a pause in between, "You just know when you know."

About to ask even further, Allura was suddenly cut off by Sven, "Hey girls, I think we are going to call it a night. Sleeping beauty here needs his rest."

Keith shook his head and smiled ruefully. He did look tired and a bit worn out, "I'm fine really."

"Well, we should be going anyway." Sven answered back, "Gorma is going to kill us for keeping you and everyone else up."

"Oh, I'm sure he's already planning his revenge." Pidge joked as he gobbled up his treat.

Hunk went over and tousled his young friend's hair, "C'mon kiddo, let's go. We have an early work day tomorrow."

"What are you working on?" Keith asked curiously.

"We're finalizing some upgrades on the lions." Pidge answered, "Tomorrow we're working on Black. You're going to love what we're doing to them once you're back."

Keith smiled uneasily and simply nodded in reply.

"We better go." Lance finally said as he escorted Maryann out. "Night Cap."

"Good night." Keith answered.

As everyone began filtering out, the girls felt that both Sven and Keith wanted a moment to themselves. Allura knew both had an unresolved issue to discuss. The two said their goodbyes before leaving them.

The room, once full with chattering voices, suddenly fell silent. Neither said a word at first, but Keith took a deep breath before speaking first. "Sven, I'm very grateful for everything you and Romelle did for me."

"Please, don't mention it." The Norwegian shook his head to dismiss it.

"No," Keith said firmly looking at his friend, "I have to mention it. I put you and Romelle through a lot and I'll never forgive myself for that."

"Keith," Sven sighed as he took a sit at the edge of the bed, "Don't put yourself through that, man. It's done, over."

"I tried killing your fiancée." He reminded him stoically.

Sven didn't say a thing, he nodded curtly. He tried to forget that moment, but at times found it very hard to. "It's all in the past." He repeated.

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are. Thank you for telling me." Sven nodded. "But, you know how you can…in a way…pay me back?"

Looking up at his friend, Keith tilted his head in question, "How?"

"Just make sure you're back up in the sky." Sven said simply. "Keith, I sleep better, we all sleep better, knowing you are protecting us."

Sven could tell Keith suddenly felt uneasy. His gaze fell once again. "Hey, don't doubt yourself Keith. Don't ever doubt yourself. Do you remember what you told me after I came back from Doom?"

"I remember." Keith told him solemnly, "But, Sven, it's not the same thing."

"So, you didn't come back feeling, despair, hopelessness, and a sense of utter failure."

The commander looked at his friend in complete shock as if Sven had read right through him. "That's…"

"Exactly how you feel right now, right?"

Keith nodded immediately. "It's getting really old, but I can't help it."

"You can." The Norwegian stopped him, "You told me that I had the power to change my destiny, to change who I was and who I wanted to be. Keith, you have that power now. Now the question is…who do you want to be?"

Sighing, Keith thought for a moment, "I told you that? Somehow, it's different in my mind."

Sven laughed, "Yeah, you did my friend. You did."

"Pretty smart words." Keith stated laughing humorlessly.

"They came from a very smart man." Sven answered firmly. "And a damn good soldier."

XXXXXXXXXX

A week passed by after Sven and Romelle's departure. Keith was discharged from MedTech and Maryann's work with him was complete. The Garrison needed her back to resume classes and begin the investigation as to how Zarkon managed to acquire the chips in the first place.

On the day of her departure, Lance walked Maryann to the transport to say their goodbyes. Dressed in her Garrison uniform, Lance thought the doctor looked so official, so much older. Her hair was tightly pulled back in a bun and her uniform, clean and pressed, made her look so serious. Lance couldn't believe this was the same fun and lively woman he had come to know the past couple of weeks.

"So, I guess this is it?" Maryann smiled sadly.

"I guess so," Lance answered, "I'm going to miss you."

Maryann wrapped her arms around his neck, "Come now, Lieutenant, I don't think you are the kind of person that likes sappy goodbyes."

"Please," he snorted. "Just because I said I'm going to miss you doesn't mean I'm going to get all teary eyed and ridiculous."

Maryann smiled. He was lying and she loved it. "I'm going to miss you too." She finally told him and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "I'm so lucky I met you Lance McClain. I never thought I'd be dating a Voltron pilot."

Lance gave her a strange look.

"What?" She suddenly looked concerned. "We are dating…aren't we?"

"Well, that was never really discussed." He answered seriously. However, seconds later he smiled, mocking her.

"You are incorrigible!" Maryann shoved him playfully as she let go of him. "I think that's what I'm going to miss the most. At the base, I have to be proper and formal with my role as professor and scientist. But here, with you, I felt I could be me. Thank you for that Lance."

He blushed slightly. No woman had ever made him feel like blushing. Maryann had an innocence that no other women he had met before possessed. However, there was also another side of her, tough, determined, smart. She reminded him of Allura in many ways, but at the same time, she was different. Maryann was analytical, risk averse, and extremely organized, things that Allura was not. Passion overrode the Arusian princess most of the time. Maybe that's why Keith pulled his hair out at times when Allura didn't listen to him. Lance inwardly laughed at the analogy. The two women were the same in so many ways, yet so different. It was no wonder that Lance felt such a strong attraction for her.

"I am grateful to you also Maryann," the lieutenant answered. "You saved our team and if it wasn't for you, we'd all still be on Doom. And, you also saved my best friend's life and I will always be grateful for that." Lance's words were heartfelt and they reached her heart in a way that no other words could.

"So," she began still lightly embarrassed, "Any chance you'll visit Earth soon?"

Lance hesitated for a bit before answering, "Well, things will be touch and go here for a while. At least, until Keith is completely back on his feet." He saw her eyes dim a little. "But, if you don't mind, I would love to have a once a week, standing dinner date night on the vidscreen?"

At this, she smiled. He wanted some type of commitment, even if it would be long distance for the moment. "Ok." Maryann agreed. "And, the first leave I get, I'll come back to visit you?"

Lance smiled broadly and nodded immediately, "Can't wait till you do."

Maryann beamed and leaned closer, kissing him lightly at first. Making it just enough to entice Lance to deepen the kiss, making the scientist groan in delight.

It was good to find love, Maryann thought. Oh so very good!

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura excitedly looked over herself over in the full-length mirror, admiring her new ruby red, spaghetti strapped dress she had received from Earth a few days back. With a sweetheart top and bubble hem, the princess smiled. She enjoyed that she could order the latest fashions from Earth whenever the boys ordered their things.

She was even more excited that she was having lunch with Keith in the gardens. It was his idea, which delighted her even more. Maybe this was one of those signs that Romelle had spoken of at the party. He had made it a point to spend time with her every day since he had been discharged. At times, she thought that maybe he was bored since he wasn't on active duty, but when she was with him; Allura thought Keith was actually enjoying her company. He seemed to relax around her and that made her happy. However, he showed no signs that their time together meant anything more than two friends enjoying each other's company. This worried her a little, but she dismissed it for the time being. Since Erin's visit, she hadn't found the opportunity to tell Keith how she felt. Today, she hoped to have the opportunity.

The princess hoped to have lunch with him and maybe spend the rest of the day at the lake. Neither had gone or spoken of the lake since the incident a few weeks back, but Allura didn't want Keith to have bad memories of the only place she knew brought him peace. She was determined not to allow him to make his sanctuary become a place of remorse or regret. Maybe she could help bring that safety back to him.

Looking over at the clock by her nightstand, she jumped when she saw it was already noon. The morning had gone by so quickly. Lion practice was held as usual, at six in the morning, followed by the farewell breakfast for Maryann. It was there that she said farewell to the young woman whom she now considered a friend. Then, the princess was off to a meeting she had with Coran in regards to the village of Leaton. Hopefully the resources that she and Coran had agreed on would help Ivan's current position with the citizens of the town. After that, she spent the rest of the morning with Hunk and Pidge, looking over the upgrades of the lions. "Busy morning, no wonder I haven't felt the time pass by." She whispered to herself.

Heading over to the door to leave, she opened it just as Pidge was about to knock.

"Pidge!" Allura said surprised. She immediately noticed the young man's serious features and knew something was wrong. "What's going on, what happened?"

He shook his head, "Nothing bad…I think." Sighing, he proceeded to take out an object from his pocket. "We need to talk."

"Come in." the princess gestured as she allowed him in the room. "What is that?"

"I found this inside Black Lion." Pidge answered, "While I was installing the upgrades inside the cockpit, I noticed that this…thing…isn't part of any of the machinery that belongs to Black. I would have told you about it while you were there, but there were so many engineers walking around and I didn't want them to know."

Bewildered, Allura asked, "Why?"

"When I had the chance to step out of the bay, I took this object to the lab and studied it. I found it to be a camouflaged video camera. I'm not sure where the speakers to this thing are, but I know it at least transmitted images to its destination."

"So, this thing doesn't record?" Allura asked as she looked over the metallic, black cylinder.

"No." Pidge shook his head. "I think it only transmitted images, but until I study it a little more, I can't be sure. Princess, this looks to be Drule technology. I've seen some of the things they create and I'm positive this thing was used to study Keith. This is how Zarkon studied him, watched him, and learned how Keith basically worked. I'm sure of it."

Surprised, the princess asked, "Who installed this thing?"

"That's the point. I have no idea. I'll need to spend some time looking over the surveillance cameras. I'm betting this was installed months ago; it will take me time to find it. One thing is for sure, we either had a mole in the castle or we still have one. Princess, we need to find out if this person is still here."

Allura's heart began to pound. _Another damn problem_, "Have you told anyone of this?"

The young man shook his head, "No. I haven't had a chance."

She remained quiet for a moment before speaking. "Not a word to anyone."

"What!" Pidge was surprised.

"If we do have someone acting on the Drule's behalf in here, then the less people know, the better the chances are of catching him. I want you to find this person first. Once we know for sure who it is, then we will take action."

"But, what about the repair bay?" the young man asked. "I mean, whoever this person is, he has to work at the repair bay. We can't let him have access to the lions."

"I'll have Coran order all the engineers to work on weaponry and our fighters. You and Hunk will be the only ones to work on the lions." The princess replied.

"That's a lot of work for two people." Pidge acknowledged, "Why can't we tell the others?"

"I'll talk to Coran. He'll feel obligated to tell Keith, but I'll convince him otherwise. I don't need him to know that the person who caused his problems is still in the castle. He'll go crazy trying to find him and I need Keith to focus on getting better." She answered. "I need you to find this person as quickly as possible. Once we find him, then we'll let the others know. Besides, we can't let this traitor suspect anything."

"He'll suspect that we found the device."

"Maybe." Allura nodded. "But not that you and I are the only ones looking for him. If he is still here, he will search for more information. That's why it is important to keep quiet for now. If this person doesn't hear anything, he'll be curious to know what is going on, which will keep him here to investigate. The more he assumes, the better it is for us. Hopefully we will capture him in the act. We just need to find him soon." Allura answered.

"Not even to Hunk?"

Allura thought for a while. The others would tell Keith immediately, but Pidge was still impressionable. He would do as told if she reasoned enough with him. She shook her head, "Not for the moment. I want to be able to protect everyone until we know more. Pidge, we need more information before we let the others know. For now, tell him I want both of you working on the lions to assure the safety and accuracy of the upgrades."

"You are starting to think like Keith." The young man replied with a sigh.

"I know, scary isn't it?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith walked out of his room with the intention of making his way to the gardens. He had asked the princess to have lunch with him. Every day, he made it a point to do an activity or just meet with her. The reasoning was simple; it wasn't romance he sought. That opportunity with her ended long ago and even though it literally broke his heart, he knew it was for the best. Besides, he didn't think Allura would be interested in him after the jerk she saw at Doom. Taking command again was drawing close each day and Keith knew that he'd have to work with her. He needed to reach some type of comfort level and spending time with her every day helped him do that. It would help both of them do that, he thought.

As he continued walking down the hallway, he ran into Hunk, who was making his way back to his room. The big man smiled at his commander. His features, as always, showed nothing more than deep affection and respect for his friend. Sometimes Keith didn't understand how Hunk could look at him in that fashion. It surprised him that people still regarded him in such a way. He smiled back. No sense in showing what was inside him; what would be the point? It would just worry them and he had put them through enough already. "Hunk." He simply stated.

"Hey Cap." The big man answered with a jolly tone. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Not bad, thanks." Keith nodded with a small smile.

"You can't fool me Keith."

At this, the commander's smile ceased. "What do you mean?"

"It's killing you that you're not doing a thing but relaxing, right?" Hunk laughed.

Keith inwardly took a sigh of relief, "You have no idea." He lied. "This relaxing thing is overrated."

"Well, if you want to switch places right now, I wouldn't mind." Hunk replied. "We just finished completing the upgrades on Black and I believe he is going to literally knock your socks off!" he finished proudly.

"Really?" Keith answered interestedly. "How so?"

"Ahh, my dear commander and chief, when you come back, you'll see." Hunk answered with a smirk. "Coran was adamant that we don't give you too much information during your break. You'll have enough time to know. Besides, it's nothing that you can't handle should an emergency arrive and you're forced to fly."

Nodding in acceptance, Keith replied, "Alright, I guess I'll have to be patient."

"You sure will. Well, I have to change, it's my turn to go on patrol and I have to find Pidge before I do."

"What's going on?"

Sighing and shrugging before speaking, Hunk answered, "Kid, disappeared on me before I finished downloading the last of the upgrades on Black and he's not answering his comm."

"Something wrong?" Keith asked concerned.

"Naw," Hunk shook his head, "Pidge met some girl in an online seminar he took a few months and the two have gotten somewhat close. I wouldn't be surprised if he went to make his afternoon call to her."

Keith suddenly gave him a questionable look.

"Oh," Hunk quickly answered, "He finished everything he needed to do Keith. I'm just curious. Kid did well today."

"Good." Keith smiled. "I'll see you later." He tapped him on the shoulder before he left.

The commander continued toward his destination, making sure to greet the staff and guards that passed by. He still felt uneasy around other people, but he had to admit it was getting a bit easier with each day. He entered the gardens only to find Tina, one of the young kitchen attendants that worked within the castle. Her mother was second in command after Nanny, but Tina worked after school, weekends and vacations to gather up enough money to go study on Earth. It was the young girl's dream to attend at the academy.

"Good afternoon Commander." The young girl sweetly said.

"Hello Tina." Keith answered with a smile. "I thought you had school today."

"Planning day." She replied as began pouring some water on the glasses. "I am going with some friends to the Oasis festival this weekend and I didn't want to miss a day of work this weekend."

The girl has determination, Keith thought as he sat down. "Oasis festival?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's kind of what you would call…a Renaissance festival."

The two continued speaking about the festival and the similarities between the Arusian and Earth customs when Tina suddenly asked, "Will the princess be joining you?"

He looked at his watch to discover it was twelve twenty. "Good question. Let me go find out." Keith told her he stood up and went back in to look.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Allura pretty much ran out of her room after finishing speaking to Pidge about his discovery in the Black Lion. As she quickly made her way to the gardens, a palace guard suddenly stopped her.

"Your Highness." The guard called to her.

Turning, she watched as the senior guard walked up to her. "Maxwell, is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Ivan Tolson is here to see you. His father, Councilman Tolson, is seeing doctor Gorma. He asked to see you for a couple of minutes."

Sighing, the princess looked at her watch. "Where is he?"

"I put him in the east side conference room." Maxwell answered.

"Can Coran speak to him instead?" Allura asked.

"He is already there, your Highness." The guard answered.

She should have gone and told Keith she'd be late, but Allura, not wanting this last minute change to be an excuse to cancel their outing, decided to speak to Tolson for a few minutes and excuse herself politely. She glanced at her watchand with a smileto Maxwell finally and asked him to lead the way.

Xxxxxxxxx

Walking in from the gardens, Keith was making his way toward the princess' chambers when he suddenly ran into one of the guards. "Erickson, would you happen to know where the princess might be?"

He was a young man about Keith's age, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, "Commander, I believe that Maxwell escorted her to the east side conference room. Councilman Tolson wanted to speak to her."

"Councilman Tolson?" He asked then finally remembered that he was the man Allura had visited the day before. Suddenly curious, he nodded at the guard and headed toward the conference room.

Xxxxxxxxxx

When Allura walked in, Coran and Ivan stood up from their seats to greet her. She was surprised to find herself welcomed by the young man with a smile that could have melted any other woman. Ivan Tolson was a tall man with beautiful long blonde hair and green eyes. Not, as muscular as Keith, but very fit nonetheless, Ivan had a commanding presence.

"Good afternoon Princess. I didn't mean to interrupt your day, but I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for everything you did for our village. We received the supplies early this morning and the people were astounded by how fast everything arrived."

Smiling and overwhelmed by his gratitude, Allura sighed shyly, "There's no need to thank me Ivan. I am very well aware how much the village desperately needed those supplies."

"Thank you again." He came up to her and gently took her hand, as his way of showing his gratitude for her. "I hate to trouble you more, but I have a second request if possible."

"Sure, but Ivan," she said hastily, "I really hate to cut you short, but I have a previous engagement that I'm already late for. Would you mind if we reschedule?"

"Of course!" Ivan replied, suddenly embarrassed. "I'll speak to Coran about coming back to meet with you." He finished looking at the advisor, who looked back at Allura with a rather stern look of reproach.

"Thank you for understanding." The princess answered, ignoring her advisor. She turned back to the door and pressed the button to open it when Ivan once again stopped her.

"Princess,"

"Yes." Allura replied as she turned back around, her smile hiding just how fast she wanted to leave. Coran noticed it immediately.

"Well, I was wondering…" Ivan began a bit uneasily, "Our annual Oasis festival begins this weekend and we have an evening dance." He came closer and gently took her hand again, "I would be honored if you'd be my escort for that evening. All the councilmen from the neighboring villages will be there and…"

As the young man continued speaking, Coran noticed the shadow of a figure just outside of the conference room. The advisor's eyes widened a bit as he watched Keith walk in just as Ivan kissed Allura's hand.

"Princess, l'd be honored if I had the most beautiful woman in this planet be my escort."

Allura smiled nervously without being aware of Keith's presence behind her. "Ivan…."

She was interrupted when Ivan noticed the commander's presence. "Commander Kogane! How great to see you up and about again."

His mask of complete coldness faded almost instantaneously, but Allura saw right through it. "You must be Councilman Tolson." Keith walked right in, extending his hand toward Ivan. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He smiled neutrally.

"No, not at all Commander." Ivan replied, unaware of the sudden change of temperament in the man in front of him. "I hope you are feeling better."

"Better every day, thank you." Keith answered as casually as he could. "Well, like I said before, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with the princess."

"No, not at all." Ivan responded. "We have the annual Oasis festival this coming weekend and I was inviting her to some of our events."

Keith looked at Allura for a moment before his gaze drifted back to Ivan, "I'm sure the princess will enjoy the festival. I've heard some wonderful things about it. Well, it was nice to meet you Councilman. I'll leave you all to finish your business."

He turned around and without a look at the princess left the room.

Allura stood frozen in place, unable to comprehend what just happened.

XXXXXXXXX

As he continued walking down the hallway, Keith suddenly felt like the air was stifling around him. He knew that Allura would have other men fighting for her attention. He also knew that it would happen sooner or later. What he didn't take into account was how it would affect him. The mere thought of another man…

"Damn it, he only just kissed her hand!" he told himself aloud.

He continued walking, not really knowing his destination until he found himself by the stables. A young boy with red hair and freckles immediately ran to him, "Commander! It's great to see you back."

"Hey Adam." Keith answered, forcing a smile. "It's nice to see you again kid."

"Will you be riding today?" He asked.

"Actually, now that you asked…sure why not." Keith answered absently while nodding, his thoughts still taking him away from the present.

"Are you okay, Commander?" Adam asked as he registered Keith's vague tone.

The question brought Keith's attention back to Adam, who looked back at him curiously, "Saddle up my horse, Adam?"

"Sure sir!" the kid immediately responded before running away. Within minutes, he had brought back Keith's stallion.

"Enjoy your ride, Commander."

"Thanks kid." Keith answered as he mounted his horse. "See you in a bit."

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura walked out of the rec room feeling the frustration within her rising with each passing minute she couldn't find Keith. She had searched all the places he would most likely be in only for the search to prove unsuccessful. He wasn't even answering his comm. unit.

Sighing, she continued down the hallway toward Control when she suddenly ran into her advisor.

"I take it you haven't found him?" he asked, arching his brows.

The princess shook her head. "No. I just can't believe he had to walk in at that precise moment." Her tone rose a bit as she remembered that moment; the expression in his eyes was like a dagger passing through her. "What's he going to think Coran?"

"What do you want him to think?" the advisor tested her.

"That I feel nothing for Ivan. That….that…I love him." She finally said. "Coran, I love him."

Nodding, the advisor answered, "I know Allura. I've known for a long time." Coran gently took her hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Princess, I believe that you have a speech to prepare for your next council meeting?"

Perplexed by his sudden change in discussion, Allura startled a bit and asked, "Coran? What…what are you talking about? Right now, I can't even begin to think about…"

"Allura," the advisor replied firmly, "Go prepare your speech. Keith just needs some time to…decompress, I'm sure you'll be able to speak to him later."

"But…"

Coran smiled affectionately at her, "Trust me, go prepare your speech."

Giving him a curious look for a moment, Allura finally nodded resigned, "I'll be at the library." She said solemnly before she left.

Once out of sight, Coran took out his comm. unit, "Hunk, are you still patrolling?"

"Still up here, all clear so far."

"Good. Could you please scan the area by the castle, I think Keith left the premises and I'd like to know his location."


	42. Chapter 42

Almost there!

_Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like._ -**Lao Tzu**

Chapter 42—A Step Forward

As Coran galloped through the woods that led to Keith's location, the advisor had two things in mind. First, he thought of how Allura had matured; the past weeks had been a challenging rollercoaster full of desperate measures, small victories and hardening disappointments. It was amazing to him how Allura grew from an uncertain young girl to a decisive woman who knew what she wanted. She still had her rough edges, but Coran knew she was well on her way to smoothing them down.

His second thought went to the commander. The man was smart, talented, and undeniably an incredible soldier. After this experience however, Coran discovered how human Keith was. To face such demons at his young age was disheartening. Keith slowly fought them, day by day. Small victories may not have meant too much to the commander, who was used to big achievements, but the advisor knew those small victories would grow into one big triumph over time. The older one gets, the more one sees, he thought with amusement. Coran had no doubt that this experience, if the commander fully conquered it, would make him stronger in every aspect of his life.

Reaching his destination, Coran took a deep breath and nodded to himself, mentally preparing what he wanted to say. Hunk had found Keith by Alfor Hills, a set of small hills that overlooked the mountainous terrains of Arus. Keith's horse ate grass by a tree, where he had safely secured it. The advisor dismounted his horse and secured it by a nearby tree as well before beginning up a trail leading into the hills. It took him about ten minutes to reach the top; Coran wasn't as fast or as young as he used to be, but he was rather proud of himself for making it to the top without being totally out of breath.

Keith sat by the edge of the hill, looking down on the valley below, his back facing the path. He didn't turn as Coran approached. Somehow, the advisor knew the commander was well aware of his presence.

"I love the view from here." Coran began as he took a seat next to him.

Keith didn't answer, he just stared ahead. Coran continued speaking, "Alfor hated that the people named this place after him. He found it ridiculous. I had to sit him down and beg him to accept the idea for the people would be disappointed and offended."

"I would have hated it too." Keith finally replied. "It seems so pompous."

The advisor laughed, "I think he used somewhat similar words."

"Why are you here?" The commander finally asked.

"I was curious."

"I can't be with her Coran." Keith answered, already knowing where the advisor was headed. "I…I'm no good to her." He shook his head sadly.

"Can I share something with you?" Coran asked without replying to Keith's statement. "During the invasion, my job was not only to make sure that Allura was safe, but to also make sure the citizens were as well. No matter how much I tried, and I did, I knew in my mind I couldn't save everyone."

Keith didn't answer. He looked at the horizon as he listened to the older man.

"Lives were lost that day, including my wife and son's." Coran stated grimly. He became quiet for a moment before continuing, "Two years after that horrible day, I met a woman by the name of Caroline. She was a school teacher from one of the nearby villages. After the invasion, she hid in the caves and cared for the children who had lost their parents. Seeing so many orphans literally brought tears to my eyes and I felt I could certainly provide them with better accommodations than those in the caves. Secretly, I managed to bring them to the castle, along with Caroline."

Keith turned and looked at Coran, "Caroline? Allura's school teacher? I remember her telling me about her teacher."

Nodding, Coran replied, "Yes, she was. Caroline taught her everything in the literature, math, arts and sciences; I taught her the politics and other aspects of her future job as a royal dignitary. During those years as Allura grew up, Caroline and I formed a friendship that soon turned into something…special. I fell in love with her Keith."

Keith's eyes showed an interest that Coran had not found before. He had his attention and hopefully would maintain it.

"At first, I found myself feeling guilt over falling in love again. I didn't think I deserved such a thing; I was betraying my wife's memory as well as my son's. I tried to stay away, but I couldn't stay away from her. Then, something else came about."

"What happened?"

"Caroline never spoke of her husband. She felt that his death was unjust and a part of her still felt anger for his death. One evening as we were having dinner, she told me of her husband. I found out who he was." This time Coran looked to the horizon lost in thought for a moment. Probably reminiscing on that fateful day once again.

"Who was he?" The commander asked, now with complete interest in the tale.

Coran took a deep sigh before answering, "His name was Lieutenant Jon Kilgore. He was head of one of our military task groups. Kilgore was one among a group that I sent to the front lines on that fateful day."

"You thought you killed him?" Keith asked with disbelief.

Shrugging, the advisor continued, "Inadvertently I thought I did. We were losing the battle at that point, the lions had already gone down, the only way to delay the Drules from gaining access into the castle were to send our infantry groups. Those men knew they were giving up their lives to save the ones around the castle and those who were to trying to gain access to the caves. Kilgore had joined castle security only a few months before the attack. I barely knew anything personal about him other than his rank and position in one of our outside bases."

"But Caroline didn't understand." Keith finished for him.

Coran shook his head, "She just saw her husband die for a lost cause."

"And you felt guilty over his death." Keith shook his head. "Coran, you couldn't prevent that from happening; he did what any good soldier would have done."

"I explained everything to Caroline that night. She walked away from me and I didn't see her for about two days after that." A bittersweet smile crossed his face. "I felt…destroyed. It was my fault that so many soldiers were killed that day, including her husband."

"Did Caroline ever…forgive you?"

"More than that Keith." Coran smiled as he looked at him, "She came to my office one night and we spoke for hours about her husband, the decisions made on that day and finally…us. Feeling ashamed of what I did, I told Caroline that I didn't deserve her for my act against her."

Shocked, Keith shook his head, "Coran, that's ridiculous, you couldn't have..." the commander stopped mid sentence, making a realization himself. At this Coran smiled.

"We can't help what we do or don't do at times, the decisions we make, or even the people we hurt inadvertently. However, we do have the power to change the outcomes of our lives if we want to. That's what Caroline taught me at the end. She healed me after that night Keith. Her presence helped me battle those demons of guilt I still held. She helped me see, feel…and ultimately…live." The advisor turned to Keith and looked at the younger man sitting next to him. "Caroline was the antidote that healed me, Allura is yours. You need to give her that chance. The five years we had together brought me a happiness that lighted the darkness. Sadly, our time together drew to an end. She returned to her village. Life inside the castle was too much for her to bear. She needed stability that, quite frankly, I couldn't offer then. I am lonely at times, but in a way, her love fulfilled me and gave me the strength to go on. Perhaps, one day… "

Keith remained quiet for a long moment before speaking, "I don't think that Allura's feelings for me are the same as those that Caroline had for you."

"Are you sure?"

Sighing he answered, "Coran, even if she did…I'm not…well. I don't want her to go through this turmoil of emotions I'm feeling… this deep hole that I'm living in right now."

"Keith," Coran put his hand on the younger man's shoulder, "hear Allura out. Allow her to tell you in her own words what you need to know. Let her heal you."

XXXXXXXXXX

The witch walked along the long dark corridors of her lab, located deep beneath the depths of castle Doom. Her thoughts lay with the Commander of the Voltron Force. Everything was coming into place. Kogane grew stronger by the day and soon she'd take him back to where he needed to be, to where he belonged…with her.

She felt the power of the amulet grow stronger as the days passed. Lotor would soon give her what she needed and then, Kogane would be for the taking. Her cat walked alongside of her, as quiet as she was, as if pondering the same thoughts that stirred within her.

Haggar finally stopped at the last door of the corridor. A door she always kept locked even though no one ever dared to walk that deep into her territory. With a wave of her hand, the door unlocked and magically opened it.

Once she walked in the room, the door closed. Laughing lightly at her possession, she caressed it as she would her pet. "Soon, my pet." She whispered. "Soon, I'll be the most powerful being in the entire galaxy. You will bring me victory."

From outside the locked door, the Prince of Doom watched from afar. Carefully hiding in the shadows, he watched the witch open the door and disappear inside. He studied the door to the room, wondering what it contained. He would soon find out.

XXXXXXXXX

Coran had told Keith where to find the princess. He made his way to the library, where he found her sitting at one of the tables, reading something on a datapad. He knew she wasn't concentrating because she was twirling her hair. Keith smiled for a second. She was so beautiful.

Allura felt someone staring at her, looked up and found him studying her. The princess immediately stood up, "It wasn't what you thought, he doesn't…"

"You don't owe me any explanations Allura." He told her. Keith walked closer to her, "It's me that owes you one."

She remained quiet listening to him speak. "Since I came out of the...state I was in, I've purposely been pushing you away. Not because I've wanted to, but because I felt the need to. The one image that plays in my mind vividly is the look of fear you had the day I almost killed you."

"Keith…"

"Let me finish." He told her firmly, "The truth is, that I could have killed you that day and I would have. There's no ignoring or going around the fact, Lotor saved you. I can't allow that to happen again. I can't afford to feel what I feel for you, because it is dangerous, for you. Zarkon knew what I felt for you and it almost killed you." Keith finished solemnly. She could tell that he was really scared. Keith never allowed anyone to see his fear, but it shined in his eyes for her to see. He was opening up to her more than she could have ever imagined. He tried to maintain his composure, but even that was too much for him. His eyes watered as he spoke to her and tears fell as he tried blinking them away.

"I've loved you since I met you Princess. There's never been another and there'll never be. But I hurt you so much…I can't apologize enough for what I've done."

Allura walked up to him and gently took his hand, "Do you know what I am sorry about? I am so sorry that we had to go through so much to make me realize how much I love you Keith."

Sighing, he shook his head in disbelief, "You're confused…so many things happened…" Keith began when he was suddenly cut off by Allura, who swiftly pushed herself up and kissed him, catching him by surprise. Keith tried to push her away, but he couldn't. Her kiss was so gentle, sweet, filled with so much love. It was everything he could have ever hoped for and Keith found himself kissing her back, consuming himself with the passion he had been holding back for so long.

Without a thought, he deepened the kiss as Allura opened her mouth to welcome more of him. Both groaned with pleasure and a need to release what they'd purposely locked up within their hearts. With his hand, he caressed with his princess' hair and Allura moved closer to him, aligning herself tightly against him as to feel every part of his body against hers.

They didn't need words or explanations. All they needed was this moment, this dream to materialize and become true. As if by magic, Keith felt all his worries just fall away and if only for a moment, he felt free. Free to love her, free to feel her. His dreams, his hopes, burst from his heart and became stronger as he held her. The weakness that he felt inside, the fear, slowly left him as the kiss continued.

It was Allura, who reluctantly withdrew her lips from his, but didn't step away. She kept herself close to him as she whispered, "I don't care what you think Keith Kogane. You are stronger with me just as I am stronger with you. I won't leave you and I won't allow you to leave me. Do you understand? I _won't_ leave you." She told him with tears slowly falling down her cheeks. "I am yours, through everything we may encounter from now on."

"There's so much to face." Keith whispered back, "I haven't said anything to anyone but…this isn't over Allura. I know it isn't over. I feel it. They will come back. I know it."

She knew it to be true. There had been nothing of the promised retaliation from King Zarkon, no word from Doom at all. Allura knew they would never let him go that easily. No one had said a word, but they all, to a degree, felt it. Doom would come back for him once more.

"What do you feel?" She asked him as she caressed his cheek, still wet from the tears he shed. .

"They are coming back for me…and...I know they'll hurt you in the process."

She looked into his dark eyes, which stared back intently. "How do you know all this Keith?"

He shook his head, "I've…felt it for a while. I can't survive if they do something to you. I can't." he told her with a deep tone of desperation. "I can't Princess."

"You won't have to. We will face whatever we need to face together."

"There are so many demons within me…"

With a sad smile, she hugged him, "And we will face those as well. Together Keith. You won't go through this alone. I'll be by your side."

Sighing, Keith wrapped his arms around her as the need to keep her close overwhelmed him, "Help me Allura."

"I'm right here, Keith. I'm right here."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: The Next Chapter

_Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now on and make a brand new ending.—_Carl Bard

Lance, amazed that six and a half months had passed by since Maryann left for Earth, sat alone in the control room, pondering on the events that had occurred since their escape from Doom. It had taken a great deal of work, patience, and even keeping his mouth shut at times to put up with Keith. That in itself was not easy for him.

Physically, the commander was back in shape and stronger than Lance remembered. On the outside, Keith was fine, mentally… that was a different story. To Lance, it just wasn't the same Keith. When he looked at him, he saw a darkness that seemed unending.

Keith now calculated every move, questioned every why…as if making sure whatever decision he made, was one hundred percent correct. He didn't trust anything or anyone, beyond the team and Coran. And since there had been an increase activity of Drule attacks lately, he continuously questioned anyone on guard, making sure they reported to him if anything odd appeared on the scanners.

The commander had mentioned to Lance that something was coming, he wasn't sure what it was, but it would be big. They thought Zarkon, who they hadn't heard from in months, would be back to retaliate against them. He instructed Lance to increase practice battle sessions and security in the castle, especially where Allura was concerned. Sometimes Hunk and Pidge thought Keith was being a bit too paranoid, but Lance knew that his friend had seen many things at Doom. Lance definitely knew Zarkon would retaliate, especially to retrieve Keith again.

A sudden call broke his concentration. He knew who it was and picked it up, "Admiral, how are you doing this evening?"

"Good lieutenant." He answered with a smile, "How's my boy doing?"

It was a secret Lance and the admiral kept in contact. A weekly call occurred so that the admiral was informed of Keith's progress. _If Keith finds out, he would kill me_! Lance thought, but he also knew the admiral outranked both of them, so at least he felt somewhat protected. Somewhat.

"He's increased security in the last two weeks." Lance replied. "But he's not sure what he's looking for yet or what we'll encounter."

"Has he told you anything else about that so called feeling he's been having?"

Lance shook his head, "No. Maybe Allura will get him to talk more." Lance sighed, "The princess took him out to the lake. It's the first time he's gone back there since…that happened."

Graham nodded in understanding.

"He's different you know." Lance continued with a somber tone.

"Things like this…well, they take time for someone to get passed them." The admiral paused for a bit, "Lance, you do know he'll never be the same again, don't you?"

Lance sighed again, "He's always been a guarded, careful person. This thing…well, just made him more doubtful of others. I know he'll never be the same Admiral. He takes care of us a lot more though."

"He'll never let any of you go through something like that again. That I'm sure of." The admiral stated. He sighed, "So…he's with the princess?"

"Yeah," he answered uneasily. "Allura's never really left his side for the last six months. She really cares for him…as a friend of course." The princess had begged Lance to keep her relationship with Keith quiet to the Garrison. She wanted to let them know when they were ready give the news.

The admiral smiled. He was too old to be fooled. "Just make sure that they are all right." He suggested.

Lance had made sure of that too. Allura, as well as the rest of them, now had a small chip inserted in their left temple. If anyone was more than fifty miles away from the perimeters around the castle, Lance, or anyone on duty, would be alerted immediately. He also made Allura promise to keep her comm. unit close to her. "Don't worry Admiral, I have them both checked." He stated looking at the screen, noting that neither had gone beyond the perimeters of the chip.

"All right Lieutenant, is there anything else I should know?"

"No. But I hope to find out more about whatever Keith seems to be feeling."

"Fine," the admiral nodded. "I'll call next week to find out how it went."

"I'll be here."

With that, communication ceased.

Fifteen minutes passed and another call came in. With this one, he smiled. He picked it up and was greeted by a wonderful smile. "Hello beautiful."

"Good evening Lance."

Oh, how he loved that French accent of hers.

His girlfriend of six months giggled when he winked at her. Since that night at the gardens, Lance had not stopped talking and spending time with the scientist, even if most of it was spent over the vidscreen. She had managed to visit him only once after her return to Earth and Lance knew she would be due for another soon.

"Are you ready for your French lesson tonight?" She asked.

"How about we review what I learned last week?" He winked.

"All right. Let's see what you have." Maryann laughed shaking her head slightly.

He repeated all the phrases he had learned a week before. Maryann nodded when he pronounced them correctly and corrected him when he said something wrong.

"Very good!" she praised. "You're learning so much!"

"I even learned one on my own." He beamed with pride.

"Really? What?" The scientist asked curiously.

"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir."

She opened her eyes in shock. "Lance McClain! I'm not sleeping with you tonight!" she hissed, pretending to be angry. Lance saw through that.

"Well, how about this weekend?" He smiled at her. His eyes sent shock waves to her very depths.

"You are too forward."

"And you're too hot." He answered with the smoothest of confidence. "So what's it going to be Maryann? Come this weekend. I'm not on duty. I could show you more of Arus. I didn't have a chance to show you most of it last time you were here."

She thought for a moment about the proposal and then smiled. "Why not?"

VVVVVVVVVVV

Three things were needed to become the most powerful sorceress in the galaxy, anger, hate and heart. Haggar had two of the three. Zarkon's anger was carefully tucked away in the amulet; Lotor's hate was continuously feeding the amulet as he wore it. Heart, heart was the only thing she needed.

The commander's passion and heart was all she needed and Allura was doing a perfect job getting him back to where she needed him to be. _Patience_, the witch thought with pride. _A little patience is all I need and the commander will be mine for the taking._

She smiled as she watched the pair through her crystal ball while sitting in her laboratory. Kogane was healing perfectly, both physically and emotionally. Soon, when his heart healed, she could make her move.

The plan was slowly beginning to take shape. Soon the galaxy would be hers….

Hiding in the dark cold corners of the laboratory, far away from her, where no one could see,, Lotor continued to watch the witch very carefully. He would not be fooled again.

VVVVVVVVVVV

The night, a perfect cliché. The full moon illuminated the dark skies and specks of stars glittered and twinkled in perfect harmony. Moonlight frosted the small, rippled waves swimming around the lake. Soft warm breezes made it comfortable for anyone who decided to stroll about the sleepy grounds.

Allura parked the cruiser in front of the lake, closing her eyes and enjoying a sudden breeze the tickled her face and hair. Keith looked at her momentarily, "Allura, it's kind of late, we shouldn't have come here in the first place, it's not safe," he told her gently, not wanting to spoil her moment.

She turned to look at him, "Keith, relax. Zarkon hasn't attacked in the last couple of days. I'm sure he's planning something, but it's not going to happen tonight." She told him gently.

"Still," he sighed looking at his surroundings, "This place…it's just wrong."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just ..." He answered solemnly. "We really should go."

"Listen, let's stay here… just a little while…please." She gave him a small, gentle smile as she took his hand and tenderly squeezed it. "It's really a beautiful night."

A look of suspicion crossed his face, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Just to enjoy the night." She answered as she let his hand go and opened the door of the cruiser. The princess walked to the storage compartment in the back of the cruiser and took out some blankets she had stored earlier. Allura made her way over to the green areas around the lake.

"Allura, I really don't want to be here." He got out of the car and followed her.

"I know you don't. " She replied as she opened the first blanket and sprawled it over the ground. Turning around to face him, Allura continued, "But I also know you miss this place Keith. I see it every time things are busy and you end up in the balcony looking out, searching for this place." She took another blanket and wrapped it around herself then sat down.

"I didn't …how did you know?" He answered seriously.

"I know a lot of things about you." She answered firmly, with a small smile. Allura gestured him to take a seat next to her. As she offered him another blanket, Keith lowered himself to the space beside her.

The princess had intentionally left out that she intended to make the lake a positive place for him again. Wanting to do this for months, she felt this night would be her only opportunity. She didn't want him to associate the lake with bad memories. Allura wanted it to be safe for him again. "This is a lovely place Keith. Don't allow the bad memories to cloud the good of it."

He maintained his silence for a bit before speaking, "Allura…I…this place has very mixed feelings for me." his words came out slowly, as if he himself wasn't too sure of them. "We should go."

Allura looked at him, shocked, "Why? Why do you want to run away?"

"I'm not running away!" he immediately exclaimed. "Don't you understand?" He shook his head. "This place reminds me of…how I failed you Allura." Keith became silent for a while, "How I failed myself." He sighed regrettably, "I failed."

"You didn't fail. You had one bad moment. And you were still under the influence of the implant. So, technically, you really weren't thinking clearly."

"I wish I could see things the same way you do. The last six months have been challenging. I'm better, but…Allura, I can't help but think…what harm I could have caused if Zarkon would have gotten away with his plan." He answered, looking straight at the lake.

She looked at him incredulously, mentally trying to find the right words to tell him. This was the first time since the day at the library that he had been so open with her. It had taken her six months to get him to open once again. Noticing the expression on his face, she saw how in that moment, when he said those words, he looked destroyed, like he had lost his soul. "You really believe this of yourself?"

He turned to her, his eyes glazed over, "After everything you saw me do, you still ask me this?"

"After everything you've done for Arus, how can you say this about yourself?" She countered. "Keith, how can you let one thing, that was beyond your control, outweigh the good things you've done for Arus? The good things you've done…for me?" she finished softly.

"I wish I could have done more for you." he suddenly said, a bit baffled.

Allura sighed deeply. "You've done more than you could have ever imagined." She suddenly told him. She took a deep breath and gathered her strength. Then, her voice rose to a firmer, more determined tone, "Before I met you I would have never dared to do what I've done for Arus. You saw strength in me that I never saw in myself. You found something in me and brought it out, **you **made it alive." She took his hand within both of hers. The princess paused before continuing, "Look at this place. It's beautiful and it has brought you peace when things in your life were in turmoil. Make it yours again. It isn't a place of failure, it is a place of strength. It will bring you the strength you need, but you need to want it."

He stayed quiet, studying every word she said to the precise detail, "I've missed it." he swallowed hard, "I really have."

"I know you have," Allura stayed silent for a moment, "And, I've missed you."

Keith turned to her, "What do you mean?"

The princess smiled, "I know the last six months have been challenging. But Keith, part of me misses your laugh, the way you were."

Sighing, he answered her, "I'm not going to be that person ever again."

Allura nodded, "I know. But that doesn't mean you can't try gain back some of part of what you were. At least…the way you were with me."

Shocked, Keith looked back at her, "If I have been…"

"No, no!" She corrected herself, "Maybe I'm fumbling my words, but what I want to say is that you stole my heart before I knew it was stolen. I've never been in love before Keith, but I know that you mean everything to me and I can't imagine you not being part of my life. I can't imagine you not being with me." The princess drew herself closer to him as he studied her eyes intensely. "When I almost lost you, that's when I realized how much I loved you, how much I love Keith Kogane. I know you're a different person now, I can accept that. I can live with the new man you are, but I want to see one thing."

"What?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, she drew closer to him and crushed her lips against his. He hadn't kissed her since that day at the library. H needed to be sure that he wouldn't hurt her again. Keith didn't want his personal demons to hurt her. This was part of the reason he stayed away to a certain point. Now, it felt different. He felt different. The commander knew that he needed her. He always did. Instead of pulling away, he slid his tongue into her mouth and commenced a sweet tasting exploration of it as she moaned in pleasure.

Allura let the blanket around her fall away as she wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling closer to him. He slid his hands up her back before gently guiding her down onto the blanket.

He forcefully broke himself from her for a moment and between ragged breaths, he asked her, "Are you sure?"

"Only if you let me see those gentle eyes again. You don't have to guard yourself with me. With me, you don't need a mask. I see through you Keith. I see you." She softly answered him, "If only for me, I want to once again see those gentle eyes."

Keith stared at Allura for a time that seemed forever to her. His stare intense, hardened and tough. Then, to the princess' surprise, he vanished that gaze and the eyes that she saw when she first met him, that made her smile and ultimately made her fall in love with him, appeared. "I love you so damned much." It was all he needed to say before he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him as he kissed her with a passion she hadn't seen in him in a long time. A dark thrill swept within her and she relished it.

Shifting his weight, Keith settled himself firmly on top of her, caressing her hair with one hand while unbuttoning her blouse with another, not for a moment breaking the kiss. Without hesitation, she dipped her hands under his shirt, enjoying the feeling of the muscles on his back. Slowly, Allura moved her hand to the front and lifted his shirt so that she could see him. She studied every ripped muscle on his chest with pure delight.

A moan escaped him as he shuddered at the sensation of her warm hands around his chiseled abdomen. Then, she began to strip away his clothing. She tried to lift his long sleeved shirt over his head. Finding she had a bit of trouble, Keith stopped and helped her, pulling it over his head and removing it completely.

Little by little, their clothes began leaving them, gently being tossed around them, until they were nude. Allura found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and she played with his long hair while she kissed him, nibbling gently on his lips. Before she knew it, his mouth left hers to explore her cheek, jaw and then moved to her neck.

The aroma of the trees and flowers around them filled their senses. The soft winds played a romantic melody. Amidst the passion they shared, Allura opened her eyes and met his. Looking at him, she found an established bond between them; strong, alive, and irreversible. At that moment, they became one. Each touch, soft, gentle, slow.

She opened herself to him fully, intending to seal their bond. She found he wanted the same, for Allura found him strong, hard and unyielding. Slowly, he sealed the bond, carefully looking into her face to see if he found anything telling him she wouldn't want him. He found nothing.

As he thrust himself inside of her, she devoured the feeling, moaning in complete, consuming awe. Allura released a pleasurable sigh as she closed her eyes for a moment, but then she forced herself to open them. She needed to see him, his face, to lock her eyes within his dark irises.

Deeper and deeper he pushed in. He felt a glorious happiness, completeness, knowing his life would never be the same from that moment on. Nothing was around them, no lake, no trees, no wind. No stars, or moons or the sound of the water rippling against small waves. It was only them; hearing themselves, feeling a pleasure unlike any other, saying their names out loud, and exploring themselves as they became one with each other.

Time came to a still, and a flame ignited within her. Instinct took over and she wrapped her legs around his hips, making him blaze with a fury. Her fingertips clawed down his back and drove him completely mad.

Her consuming heat, boiling, detonated within him and she screamed his sweet name with such wild passion that he found himself unable to control his own and he released it as his mouth found hers once more, his own scream concealed within her mouth.

Their light, essence, spirit and love blazed through them. They surrendered themselves to one another. One became part of the other, and each one cracked open the part of their hearts they thought would forever remain sealed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allura awoke a little later that night, feeling Keith's body close to hers. A warm feeling of safety and happiness flooded her. She felt him move a bit and looked up to see him, "Are you feeling ok?"

"Aha," he simply answered her. "Look up Allura." He told her with such a sweet gentleness as he held her tighter to him.

When she looked up, she saw an infinite amount of fireflies. The dark skies were filled with dots of red, pink and whites lights, circling the night sky.

"Fireflies." Allura whispered to him. They had completed this ritual months earlier. Allura had never seen it occur twice in one year. Then again, sometimes in life, things came at the most unexpected times. She looked up at Keith and for the first time since he came back, she saw what appeared to be a face filled with contentment. He wasn't smiling, but his features had softened_. He's going to be alright_. She thought. She held him tighter.

Keith looked at her. He knew Allura was the one that would always hold his hand when he thought he'd fall into an abyss. She'd be the sun that came after the storms passed. She took his breath away the moment his eyes set on her, and she took his soul when she had opened her soul to him.

Now, he was with her and he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be. _My Allura_, he thought. _My light, my peace; my only purpose…for fighting the darkness coming our way._

"Thank you." Keith told her, looking down at her.

"For what?"

"For helping me find peace…for being my purpose."

She lifted and kissed him gently. "You are my purpose too." Allura looked up again at the light show in the sky, "How do you think they know who their companions are? There are so many of them in the sky."

"You just know Allura." He replies as he hugged her. "Sometimes, you just know. I believe that."

She looked at Keith again, seeing how he complimented her. Her peace, her purpose, lay next to her on the blanket. His arms around her made her feel safe. Whatever was coming their way, she felt confident, they would not only face it together. They would defeat it because neither was alone; they were one, united and ready for anything that challenged them.

Allura knew he would never be the same. He now held a stoic composure, guarded eyes, and another perspective of the world around him. But, she also knew that none of those things would change what he felt for her or how much he loved her.

She caressed his hair and kissed him lightly on his lips, "Me too, Keith, me too."

End… of part one.

I wanted to take this opportunity to appreciate all my kind and generous reviewers who stuck with me through this incredible journey. You have no idea the amount of energy and motivation your reviews game me. Your heartfelt words touched my heart and ignited my passion. I will forever remember and keep you close to my heart.

Thank you: Botias, Phoenix30, Feli3, Harmonywinters, diehard, lazycat30, LostinNY, peacockfeather, Smithy, busard, darkvendetta, readerjunkie, KAlover, Drowningblonde, MSSC, Chinagirl, melerdmier, Twilight90202, Maleeva, anonymous, Steelergal, RossioDiSera, Beverly, JGK200.

Many thanks to those who put the story on Alerts and Favorites. I truly appreciate the kind gesture.

A special thank you to my editor Mertz who stuck by me through thick and thin and for better and worse. Thank you my friend. I know that I annoyed the hell out of you my friend, but you stuck with me. Thank you.

Another special thank you to my friend Charigul who encouraged me, pampered me and truly made me love this fic, more than I thought. Thank you for your wonderful email, delightful late conversations and just your kindness and sweetness.

This fic was also made possible by my wonderful IPOD (may it rest in peace) that helped me create many of my favorite scenes in this fic. Many of us create stories by listening to music and rhythm. I am one of these writers. Here's a list of some of the songs that helped my creative juices:

_Nirvana—Something in the Way_ (This song actually helped me create the first scene and ultimately the idea for the entire fic.) Do you remember when Keith walked into Zarkon's throne room with Throk's head on a platter? When I heard this song, that's the scene that popped in my head. From there came the entire idea for The New Prince.

_Owl City- Meteor Shower_

_Owl City- Fireflies_

_Lifehouse—Everything_

_Thank you all again! See you soon!_


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